


The Tiger and Dragon's afterstory

by Followlinkflow



Category: Toradora!
Genre: College, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Humor, Marrige, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2020-10-07
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:48:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 26,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25655428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Followlinkflow/pseuds/Followlinkflow
Summary: A few years after highschool ended, Taiga and Ryuuji do their best to confront the daily dealings of adulthood as husband and wife
Relationships: Aisaka Taiga/Takasu Ryuuji
Comments: 12
Kudos: 97





	1. Domestic Life

Her house felt especially empty this afternoon. She quietly eyed the clock in front of her; the ticking and tacking of the “seconds hand” getting more and more on her nerves.

She couldn’t concentrate. She had to try, though.

Taiga lifted the book in front of her once more. “Current Constitutional Laws of Japan were enacted in 1947, following the acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration proposed by the Allied Leaders in World War II and- UGH!”

Her face hit the table she was studying on full force, forcing a cry of pain out of her. She stared at the clock again. It was half past two and he was not home yet. She stood and tried to clear the dining table as best she could.

Several free pages of ‘Constitutional Law’ and ‘Foreign Relations’ were spread about her. She had forgotten which page came before the other. Tidiness was still not her forte.

She picked her empty bowl and plate and brought it to the kitchen, checking whether or not his food was still warm. She smiled when she noticed it was.

“It’s almost three...That idiot will not have time to eat.” Taiga murmured, setting the last of the newly cleaned forks and knives next the already cleaned spoons. Her lips morphed into a small grin as she recalled just how messy her house was a few years ago.

She turned to admire her work. All clean. _Just like Ryuuji would do it._ She frowned as she wore her wedding ring again.

The tiny woman huffed and puffed towards the dining table, grabbing her ethics textbook and tossing it towards the door with all her might. “Why the hell is he not home yet?!”

“I’m home!” Ryuuji announced, only to be welcomed by said textbook in the face.

Taiga immediately lit up, jumping up and down the chair she was sitting on. “You’re either tired of studying or you were waiting for me.”

“BOTH!”

Slowly, he rubbed his nose, placing the book on the table and untying his necktie. He patted the top of his wife’s head and made his way to the kitchen. “Hey, it’s still warm, I was not THAT late.”

Taiga crossed her arms. “I had to warm it up. Why did you get home from work so late?!”

Ryuuji set his plate of grilled fish and rice next to her college homework. “Traffic.” His hand moved to her face and she closed her eyes in anticipation.

“Thanks for the meal.” And he started eating.

Taiga, stubborn as she was, kept her eyes closed, waiting. He took another bite from the fish. “This is pretty good.” Again, he placed a handful of rice in his mouth. “Remember when you couldn’t even cook rice properly? This is amazing.” Ryuuji kept on eating.

“Why are you not giving me an _I missed you so much_ kiss?! Or a welcome home kiss?! OR ANY TYPE OF KISS?!” Taiga demanded as she pushed and pulled her husband’s shirt collar, while he laughed uncontrollably. “I wanted to see just how much you would wait before you’d yell at me.”

“I hate when you play with my poor, poor heart like that.” She quickly looked down, avoiding his gaze and, to her own admittance, adorable smile. He picked her up and placed her on his lap. “Come here you.” And his kiss was hot passion. It still sent shivers down her spine even two years after their first one. It was hot and cold, wet and dry. His tongue tasted like fish, but any flavor on him was a delight. His hands made their way to her tiny shoulders and her arms pulled him closer, because somehow, he was not close enough. He was never close enough.

The kiss evolved into something more, from her lips to her neck, following an invisible path that he himself made in their years of marriage. She moaned and he inhaled. “We should stop. You have school later.” She managed to breath out.

“School can wait.”

“You have to eat.”

“Food can wait.”

She hated this. She hated this because she knew they had to stop. It felt as if she’d just eaten her favorite dessert and now she needed to put it in the fridge because she has to eat a salad first. She managed to muster the strength to pull away from his tongue.

“W-we’ll have time later. It’s like you always say.”

Still hazed from the excitement of their love, he hummed a long winded sigh. “Duty first,” He gripped her hips hard, ripping away another moan from his wife. “Pleasure later.” She was fiery exhilaration for him. He was burning stimulation for her. He was about to move her, when she tried to make herself as heavy as she could. “Eat like this. Pass me my book; I’ll study. I haven’t hugged you for like 10 hours.” He laughed and did as she asked.

They kept silent for a few minutes, Taiga still on his lap, trying to read as best she could. She started smelling his neck. She felt his shoulders tense as her nose brushed against his skin. “You smell nice.”

“I smell of you.”

“That’s why I said that you smell nice. I like how you always smell so sweet. It's like you don’t sweat at all.” She rubbed her cheek against his, enjoying how lightly coarse it was. He was trying to grow a beard and she found it adorable. “I take care of myself. Clean house, clean body and-”

“Clean mind. I get it, you nerd.” She placed a soft kiss on his neck. “How was your day at work. Is Koruno-kun still a pain in the butt?”

He smiled and took the last bite of his meal. “If you ever meet him, please be careful on how you speak in front of him.”

“No promises.”

Ryuuji made a soft noise. “Yes, he’s still a pain. But not as bad as last week. I managed to fix the software issue in the client’s network. Was pretty satisfying to see how he reacted.” Taiga closed her book. “The one that has been busting the company’s data for a month?”

“Yep!”

Her arms wrapped themselves around his neck as she placed a barrage of kisses around his face. “My husband’s so smart!” He answered the attack by keeping her close to his body and standing up. “What about you, how’s Law’s school treating you?”

“Great, I presented my project this morning and - where are you taking me, you pervert?” She held him tighter, wrapping her legs around his waist. “To our bedroom. We’ll talk more comfortably there.”

“Are you sure we’ve got time?”

Taiga felt Ryuuji’s smile behind her ear. “I’ve always got time for you, you dummy.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too, Taiga.” Ryuuji said, closing the bedroom door behind them.


	2. University Life

The usual cacophony of noises that has been the signature characteristic of every morning experience in the Shinjuku city, was as loud as ever. The city, a special ward of the Tokyo Metropolis, has more than three-hundred and thirty thousand inhabitants. Having the world's busiest railway station, walking shoulder to shoulder with strangers was a given, especially at 7 AM, Shinjuku's peak hour.

Taiga Takasu was tiny. And, as small as she was, even she could feel how there was a lack of oxygen and space in the train that traveled towards the Nishi-Waseda district. She was desperate to get off. Worst of all, her internet connection was failing, making it impossible to continue her conversation with Minori. Needless to say, she hated Monday mornings.

The walk from the station to Waseda University was roughly fifteen minutes. For this specific morning, it took twenty.

The small woman yawned loudly. _Ryuuji and I should've at least tried to sleep..._ Taiga thought, her face painting itself red. Her hands rose to each of her cheeks, hoping the morning coldness of her palms would cool her down, since she was about to enter her first class of the semester.

It did not work.

And Ichika Yuki, the girl that usually sits next to her, noticed right away. "Takasu-chan, are you okay? Do you have a fever?"

"Morning Yuki-chan, I'm," She yawned again. "Fine. I did not sleep much yesterday." Taiga said, setting her bag next to her classmate's with a _thud_. Ichika's lips morphed into a devious smile. "Oh~ You couldn't sleep? I wonder..."

Taiga rubbed her thumb along her wedding ring, almost as if making sure if it was still there. "S-shut up."

"I did not say anything at all, Takasu-chan." Yuki said, letting her short black hair free from her autumn styled cap.

"You're implying some embarrassing stuff in front of everyone. So there. Shut up."

Yuki's eyes narrowed. "So you don't deny it?"

Taiga's eyes avoided hers. It was a very bad habit she never managed to shake off; whenever she was nervous, her eyes wandered everywhere, except the source of embarrassment itself. It still happens with Ryuuji.

Quickly, she found a target to focus on. "Kihara-chaaaaan! Yuki-chan's bothering me again!"

Her arms and legs deftly wrapped around Maya Kihara's body, prompting them both to fall unceremoniously to the ground. "Good morning to you too, Taiga-chan."

Yuki's grin persisted. "Fine, sorry. Sheesh you're pretty immature for a married woman."

Taiga helped Kihara stand up, performing a little bow as an apology. "I'm mature enough. You, on the other hand..."

Taiga let a stream of air from her nose, heading towards her bag, wanting to see what Ryuuji had left inside that made it so heavy. Kihara whistled as a response when she looked. "So many snacks. And no lunch box?"

The smaller girl giggled, grabbing bags of chips and juice boxes with both hands. "But of course! These snacks are for us. Since today is gonna be a special day!"

Both girls stared in confusion. "Ryuuji is leaving work earlier to spend some time with his lovely, adorable and, to be honest, amazing _wife_."

"Ryuuji Takasu has another wife?" Yuki teased, though a juice box to the face was all she managed to get as a response.

"We'll share some snacks and as soon as classes are done, I'll head home to cook the best meal I can muster." Kihara softly chuckled at her friend's eagerness, a small tear forming from under her left eye. "You know, Taiga-chan. I still remember how different you were in high school. You were so standoffish and cold. I could never imagine that you would feel so happy to cook for someone else, let alone for someone like Ryuuji-kun. Your growth has been amazing. I'm so proud to have been part of it, and I'm so glad I can call you my fr-"

Kihara suddenly stopped talking when Yuki nudged her elbow, finally noticing that Taiga wasn't actually listening, instead was fidgeting intensely with her phone. They both sat and opened a bag of chips each.

The room was beginning to fill up, with every student reaching for whatever available place to sit they could find, and although multiple students tried to wish Taiga a good-morning, most of them were ignored as she was too absorbed while chatting with her husband using LINE.

*And she said that in front of everyone!* Taiga typed and hit send.

*That's embarasing.*

*I meant embarrrasing."

*AAAAH! EMBARRASSING!*

*There you go!*

She smiled at how dorky her dragon was. *You're an adorable doggy.*

*I could not even begin to compare with how cute you are. You look like a porcelain doll. So perfect and small that I feel I could break you with a hug. I wish I could hug you right now.* That made Taiga blush.

*Just a few more hours and I'll ditch these chumps and get back to you.*

*Taiga, they're your friends ahahahaha*

*And you're my husband. Are we playing at _saying obvious things_? I'm game. You're turn*

And she got no answer for several minutes. This gave Taiga just enough time to set her things so she could begin her 'Corporate Law' seminar.

Truthfully, she disliked the teacher of this course. Tobuka Nobuto was the kind of teacher that does not greet his students. One that starts writing down titles and topics on the whiteboard before anyone would have the time to take notes. Also, his handwriting is horrible.

A new text arrived. *Taiga, Koruno-san has arrived. I'll be available for anything important.*

*Why do you have to specify "Anything important"? When have I ever bothered you if it wasn't important?*

*.-.* That stole a laugh from her.

*Love you, Ryuuji.*

*Love you, Taiga. Later.*

After the first thirty minutes, Taiga managed to pinpoint another reason she disliked Nobuto: he's criminally boring. His expressions are non-existent, his voice as monotone as one could be. He enjoyed dressing himself plainly; white shirt with dark brown pants. And he's short tempered and impatient. In that regard, she was similar to him. She could not keep her hands still when she was bored, tapping furiously on the table. She looked to the right, towards Yuki.

Her face brightly shone from the artificial lights of the classroom, revealing a close to perfect skin. Not only that, she was tall. Not obnoxiously tall, just regularly tall. The _I have long legs and wear skirts in autumn_ kind of tall. Taiga allowed some air through her nose.

She cared deeply for Yuki, she really did, but she also hoped she'd never meet Ryuuji in person. Sometimes, she would remember how stupidly friendly the dumb Chihuahua was with him and it would give a headache. She wanted to never experience that again, but knowing how simpleminded and welcoming Ryuuji is...

_Nevermind._ Taiga thought, her hand already hovering around her phone.

Some more time elapsed. She yawned, hoping her teacher would not have noticed. He didn't and she opened LINE once more.

*Ryuuuuuuuuuji~* and no answer came, but she persisted. *I'm booooored.* Still, no reply.

She locked her phone and faced forward. A few minutes later, she was on LINE again. No new messages.

*Ryuuji! How does a dog dare not answer his master's call?* She pouted. A few minutes pass.

*Ryyyyyyyy*

*uuuuuuuuu*

*jjjjjjjjjiiiiiiiii!*

*What is it, Taiga?* She chuckled and Kihara shushed her. *Send me a picture of your cute little face.*

*...*

*Taiga, I'm at work.*

She bit her lip. *Pls!*

*You already have hundreds of pictures of my face! We have photos from our wedding!*

*I know, but what if you have a terrible accident today that destroys your pretty face? I would still love you so so much, but I would need something to remember the day the tragedy happened, as a reminder of our own humanity and how inevitable fate is.*

*...*

*So yeah, picture pls.*

*Firstly, you still would have hundreds of pictures of my face. Secondly, thank you, I guess?*

*:3*

*...ok, hold on.*

"Yes!" Taiga cried out, prompting her to immediately covered her mouth, feigning ignorance as to where the sound came from when Nobuto turned to check its source. Yuki and Kihara gave the smaller girl a pair of unimpressed looks, ones that she completely ignored.

The longest three minutes of her life passed, as she tried her best to pay attention to whatever was in front of her. The table vibrated. She grinned from ear to ear when she opened LINE.

Ryuuji was sitting on his jet-black chair, within what seemed like a cubicle in an office. His white shirt and tie tightly hugged his muscles, ones that he's managed to tone through years of physical effort while taking care of her, his mother and himself. His lips were a thin line that complimented his aggressive eyes perfectly. At first glance, seem scary, but she knew better. She knew that he was the gentlest person she's ever met. No, that she'll ever meet. And he was hers. And she couldn't be happier.

*Why*

*Is my husband*

*SO HANDSOME?! AND WHY ARE YOU SO FAR AWAY FROM ME?!*

He did not answer for ten minutes. As frustrated as she was, she couldn't help to also feel excited. Time's almost up for this lecture, which meant she would be one step closer to her date with Ryuuji.

Another message arrived.

*I got yelled at by my boss. He saw I was taking a picture.*

*How did he know? Sorry, btw.*

*Take a better look at the picture I sent you.*

"Oooooh." Taiga whispered, her eyes briefly meeting her teacher's, who narrowed his. The picture he sent was perfect, but when she looked closely, in the top left corner, the silhouette of a man could be seen. A tiny, glasses wearing man stood behind her husband, his face seemingly frustrated.

*Sorry...*

*You can make it up to me with a picture. I want to see you.*

Her face was a mix of excitement and embarrassment, although she obliged either way. Two fingers up, her wedding ring in full display and a smile as warm as the summer breeze. She pressed _send_ while Nobuto stood right behind her.

*YOU LOOK SO CUTE! I was totally right, that sweater looks great on you. I'm so glad I could sew the hole it had in the armpit. Why are you so cute?!* She did not respond.

*Taiga? * No answer

*Taiga, are you ok? I'm getting worried. *

She finally responded. *I got yelled at too. *

#

The coldness of Tokyo's morning did not go unnoticed by Ryuuji. He closed his jacket and placed his scarf in front of his nose to avoid smelling the excessive smoke from his co-workers' cigarettes. He stared at the few clouds in front of him and sighed heavily. "Taiga is gonna kill me..." He murmured.

Nabita Okobo nodded in agreement and offered a cigarette. Ryuuji refused and he inhaled deeply. "You know how bad he gets when you take his picture, man. 'Twas kinda your fault." Okobo exhaled, forming stream of dancing smoke.

Ryuuji turned his head to the left. "I wasn't even taking a picture of him. He was barely in the frame," He shivered from a gust of sudden wind. "I get not allowing me to get off early, but axing my lunch? Last week I saved his butt in front of Komazu's client!"

Okobo chuckled. "Takasu-kun, we all know he's an idiot with no social skills. No surprises there."

"It's not about social skills, it's about being fair! I am a model employee!"

"Aren't we all."

Ryuuji turned to Okobo. He found himself reflecting on how this man actually performs on the job. A twenty-something year old engineer that has been struggling to advance his career due to his laziness. He often would downplay his hardships as a joke, as if he was not affected by the fact that many of his junior co-workers would get promotions and he wouldn't. He confessed as much while drunk in a double date between Ryuuji and Taiga, and Okubo and his girlfriend at the time. As much as he tried, he could not remember the name of the girl Okubo was with that night, since they broke up soon after. Okubo got a new girlfriend a week later.

"You should call Taiga-san as soon as you can. No point in delaying the inevitable." He was right. Worst of all, the time was appropriate. Around half past twelve, his wife would be having her break-time, where she would usually eat her lunch. If he didn't warn her of his absence, she would not eat while waiting for him. He sighed again and picked up the phone.

He gulped. "H-hello, Taiga-sama?"

Okubo got closer to Ryuuji, trying to hear what was being said. "Y-yes, I'm excited too." His lips were shaking. "Y-yeah, I know. I was there too. We bought a lot of tasty stuff..." He looked at Okubo, who had a disgusting grin plastered all over his face. _Idiot._

"L-listen, Taiga-sama... about our date..." And he tried to explain it as best he could without cracking his voice. The phone exploded with a thousand screams, while Ryuuji distanced it from his ear. "I-I know, I'm as annoyed as you are. I can't do anything about this." A few of his co-workers turned to him.

"I'll make it up to you, I prom-" But she hung up. He crouched and set his hands over his head.

Okubo set one hand on his shoulder, squeezing lightly. "Ahhh, trouble in paradise, Takasu-kun? I remember when I first fought with my new girlfriend. It was truly tragic. Y'see, I was..." He kept talking, but Ryuuji tuned him out, lost in thought. _This day couldn't possibly get worse._

The day got worse. Throughout it, he's been messaging his wife relentlessly, all whilst being ignored or responded with single word answers. He felt like crap. He knew she was really looking forward to this date, and how much effort she's been putting to learn a new recipe she's been wanting to cook for him.

After work, it didn't get better. Going home was not possible due to the extra hours he had to put, so he decided to head straight to university. He's commute to the Hachioji district was not that long; the availability of the railway system has always been a blessing when it came to sustaining his daily life. Truth be told, studying for a Computer Engineering degree whilst working has been taking a toll on him. More than once he's had to talk himself out of dropping out of college, along with Taiga and his own mother.

He felt guilty about neglecting his wife. Ryuuji has always tried his best to have lunch with her, which he often did, but arriving at 9 PM everyday has made it difficult to just hang out. Despite all this, Taiga would support his choices, independently of whether she agreed with them or not. She often joked on how he could lack the energy to watch a movie, but when it came to having sex, he never backed down.

Ryuuji's neck felt suddenly hotter as he tried to chase away those thoughts.

He sent Taiga a message telling her he's gone directly to his university and apologized again. Single word response.

Eiichi Kaito was waiting next to the entrance of their classroom. "Hey, I've-got-a-job,so-I-can't-hang-out-kun has arrived! Welcome! How was summer break?"

Ryuuji spied him from the corner of his eye. "Pretty good. Visited my grandparents and Taiga's mother," He yawned. "Went to Okinawa beach with Taiga and a few other friends."

"You didn't have work?"

"Of course I did. All this happened in like two weeks." The blue haired boy remained silent, trying to find a place to sit. Kaito made a noise with his throat. "Are you sick?"

"No." Kaito replied, clearing his throat again. Ryuuji nodded. His classmate made another noise and he sighed. "Kaito-kun, how was your summer break? Was it good?"

"You want to know about MY summer break, Takasu-kun? Why, I never expected you would be interested in little old me!" The other said, his face obnoxiously close to Ryuuji's. "Well you see, I-"

"Good evening, smart boys. What's up?" Ren Oita questioned, as he approached the pair with Yua Minami. "Fine, tired from work."

"I'm doing good too. Anyways, during summer break I-"

"Takasu-kun, you seem a little pale, are you okay?" Minami sat next to him, crossing her legs. "I did not sleep much yesterday, and today's not been great." Kaito's mouth shrunk. "Fine, but listen, you won't believe what happened d-"

Oita set his hands and chin on Kaito's head and he bit his tongue. "You fought with Taiga-san, did you not?" He's shoulders began to sag. "I was supposed to have a date with her, but my boss was an ass about it, because he's a lonely, joyless old man."

Dumbfounded by their Ryuuji's frankness, his three classmates remained quiet, each of them trying to process how their usually very calm friend could be so vicious. "You spend too much time with your wife, man." And they could not help but laugh. "Okay everyone, shut the hell up! Let me tell you about my summer! I..."

Kaito kept speaking, recounting a story about a river and several frogs, or something similar. Truthfully, Ryuuji wasn't paying attention. His thoughts were filled with dumb fears and worries. _Maybe she hasn't eaten anything._ He bit his thumb in frustration. _Maybe she was already cooking and had to throw away what she made._

He stared out of the window of the second floor of Tokyo Metropolitan University, studying the entering and exiting of students. His hand clutched his phone tightly. Some people were gathering by the entrance. Someone seemed to be fighting. _Sheesh, what's happening down there?_

He moved his hair from his eyes and narrowed them, attempting get a better view. His eyesight has been deteriorating for a while now. He's pretty good at reading and seeing things up close, but the farther things are, the worst it gets.

A tiny figure in front of the guard was flailing its arms. He opened the window. A few more people were standing around the entrance, admiring the spectacle. Ryuuji gulped. It wore pants and a light brown sweater. It's hair and mannerisms seemed familiar.

"Taiga!" Ryuuji exclaimed, gathering all the attention from his classmates.

He made his way to the door and ran down the hallway towards the main stairway of the building. He almost tripped trying to jump over the last six steps of the stairs.

A turn to the right, one to the left and he was in front of the entrance of the building, confirming that the woman that was causing all the ruckus was indeed his wife. He smiled and then frowned. "Taiga! What are you doing here?"

Taiga Takasu met his eyes with slight annoyance. "Obviously, I'm standing outside of the damn school because this IDIOT," She pointed at the guard. "Won't let me in!"

The guard glanced at Ryuuji and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Miss, you have to have a badge for me to let you in."

"Taiga, only students are allowed - you know, what, hold on." He stepped outside, placing a hand behind the tiny woman's back. "What are you doing here, you dummy?"

Taiga looked away, searching someplace to gaze at. "C-can't a master visit her dog, every once in a while?"

Ryuuji took a better look at her. Along with a small bag on her back, she seemed to be wearing the same sweater she was using this morning, with ankle-high, pink pants that adhere to her shapes. She wore a pair of tiny red earrings that complemented her light caramel colored eyes. Her look was completed with a pony-tail and the thin necklace he'd bought her for her birthday, bringing attention to her small, perfectly white neck. Ryuuji gulped. It was a good idea to never leave any marks on her neck.

"I thought that maybe, since we couldn't eat together for lunch, we could have some dinner?" His heart exploded. His body crashed with hers, pulling all the air from her lungs, in a bone crushing hug. "Taaaaaiga! I thought you were mad with me!"

"W-what?! How did I give you that impression?"

He pulled his phone and showed her their LINE chat. "Oh. I'm not good at chatting."

"You really aren't," He agreed.

"I'm sorry." They both said in unison, before shutting up. No more words were needed. He placed a hand on her face, one that was so miniscule, he could fit it all on his palm. His thumb caressed the edge of her lips.

"Damn, get a room, you two." Kaito whistled, hands in pocket, with Minami and Oita right behind him. His excitement disappeared as fast as it arrived, irrationally annoyed by the fact they could not have the privacy they wanted in a public space. The guard stared with disapproving eyes.

"I guess you've never had the chance to meet my classmates. Taiga, this is Ren Oita, the smart one," Oita winked and gave a thumbs up. "Yua Minami, the polite and smart one,"

"Pleased to meet you." She bowed.

"And Eiichi Kaito, the annoying one." Kaito stepped backwards, feigning a hurt expression.

Taiga bowed, though she could not avoid intensely staring at Minami's chest, which was regretfully bigger than hers. She spoke as if directed towards Minami specifically. "Pleased to meet you. Taiga Takasu, I'm Ryuuji's WIFE." Both boys greeted her. Minami produced a nervous laugh.

Taiga cleared her throat. "Listen, I made a little too much food. And since our date must happen in the dark garden of your university, it might be a good idea to invite your friends."

Ryuuji reluctantly agreed, although he had to admit he was a bit confused by the request. This was supposed to be a date, right?

"Yeah, and then he jumped into the river, like an idiot!" Taiga exclaimed. She held a bowl of fried pork with sesame sauce. She picked the biggest piece and brought it to her husband's mouth. "Say aaaaahhhh!" He obliged and tried to reply with his mouth full. "I did not jump, you idiot! You pushed me!"

"You're still on about that? I apologized. Let go of the past Ryuuji. It's not healthy."

"You didn't apologize!" Ryuuji's friends laughed at the banter of the married couple, who lovingly fed each other, as they themselves ate.

Time moved rather quickly. The summer sun finally hid behind the mountains, giving way to the autumn moon. The five of them sat in front of the small lake and statue of the university until it was finally time for their lecture to begin.

After packing away all appliances and plates, Taiga stood up and pulled onto her husband's sleeve. "Help me find the bathroom."

The two of them sneaked their way into the building, where they quickly found the sign for the women's restroom. Taiga pushed him from behind to an unseen corner of the room. "Taiga, wh-" Her slim arms extended to his neck, with fingers intertwining behind it. She pulled him down just enough for their lips to meet. His hands instinctively made their way to her cheek, somehow trying to pull her closer, making their embrace more intimate.

The lightness of her tongue was intoxicating, as it danced greedily within his mouth. His hand kept on exploring her back, while his arched downwards. His fingers followed the shape of her spine, descending. Lower. Lower. And then stopped by her hand. She cruelly ripped herself away from his lips whilst watching with hungry eyes.

Closer to his ear, she uttered two words. "At home." Her tongue brushed lightly against it.

Electrifying. Excited. He wanted her.

"Come on, now. Go back to class. I'll be waiting."

"Taiga..." She kissed him on the cheek and stepped backwards. "Come on. Go."

"I love you."

"I know you do."

By the end of his lectures, they walked hand in hand. Taiga brought their car. They did not wait to get home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Real quick: while I know the anime (and LN) are set in 2009/2010, I decided to insert certain things from the current year. (They have more powerful smartphones and such). Hope you enjoyed the new characters.


	3. Friend Life

Visiting this side of the city was always kind of awkward for Minori Kushieda. She was so used to following the path from their high school to get to Taiga's home, that it almost felt unnatural to not see Ryuuji's old house on the way.

The married couple left their respective homes to live together in an area that was more ideal for their college lives and - to Minori's knowledge – her husband has been paying half the rent, while Taiga's mother has been paying the other half. Apparently, a huge fight arose between the two, since Taiga's mother had wanted to pay it completely on her own, but Ryuui vehemently refused.

It was a smaller apartment than the one the tiny woman had been living in for most of her formative years, although it was still bigger than her husband's.

Minori entered the building with rising anticipation. She hasn't seen her friends for a few months. With a bag full of treats and snacks, she eagerly knocked, her eyes resting on the _Takasu Household_ sign. She gulped.

"MINOOOOOORIN!" Taiga launched her body at her. The redhead caught her midair, twirling and swinging the smaller woman in circles. "What's this? I caught a little Taiga! What should I do with you?"

She smiled and pressed her face against her best friend's. "I missed you much! Let's go inside, I've been cooking all afternoon for you!" And without letting go, she walked in.

Taiga jumped off and swiftly ran to the kitchen. "Excuse me!" Minori left her shoes by the door. Only Taiga's shoes were by the entrance.

"Takasu-kun is not home?"

"Nope. That dummy had to go to college for a small group project he's doing." The brunette girl called from the kitchen.

She searched for the dining table, fully absorbing how different this house looked from the old one. As if for the sake of irony, the calmness that their household exuded did not reflect the personality of her petite friend. _Takasu-kun sure has done a number on her._ Minori reflected.

The living room was furnished with a simple sofa and chairs, some from Taiga's old house, some new. The lavish blue-silver colors of cushions and covers had a touch of Taiga's mother in them, as they seemed way too elegant for her the owners' tastes. A wooden floor, two naked cupboards with creamy colors and a glass dining table that held a candle in its center. It seemed that Ryuuji's parakeet was sleeping. She recalled its name as Inko.

The room was covered with pictures full of memories. Pictures of Taiga, Ryuuji, his mother. Even Minori was in them. She smiled and picked one of them.

Ryuuji and Taiga's wedding. She bit her lip.

"All done!" Taiga announced with her hands on her hips.

Her face exploded in a blast of emotions, tears running down her cheeks. "You've made all this?! My little girl grew so much!"

In front of them there were two portions of rice omelets, garnished by a single line of ketchup on the top. Next to it, a plate with several slices of fried pork and chicken, along with a miso soup that would try to balance the ice cream that was already resting at the side of the table.

"I bought that ice-cream specifically for us two, since Ryuuji is a real stick in the mud when it comes to sweets." Minori nodded and sat across the table from Taiga. The latter narrowed her eyes. "Did you bring it?"

A devilish grin appeared. "But of course." Out of the bag of snacks, the redhead pulled a bottle of a certain carbonated soda that her friend's husband hated. "Mountain Dew! Straight from America!"

Taiga's expression lit up. "YES! Finally! This delightful beverage will enhance our eating experience tenfold! Basically liquid sugar; ever since that dumb Chihuahua brought it from her trip to America, I've been dreaming of it. Its delicious taste; its carbonated content." The smaller woman placed a leg on a chair, puffing her chest as a sign of victory. "And Ryuuji won't be here to stop me!" Minori couldn't help but laugh at her friend's antics.

"Not only is it extremely sugary, it's also very hardcore. The drink's ingredients are banned from 100 countries! Dangerous, they say!" Minori yelled. "I say nay! Let's drink it 'till we meet our fill!"

Their lunch was rumbustious as anyone who has seen them interact could expect; stories of their lives were a main topic. Taiga recounted all the difficult and somewhat nonsensical laws she had to learn by hard, whilst giving her opinion on a few of them. Minori explained how tiresome her constant exercising has been. She mentioned how her family has been able to recover economically, allowing her to quit her jobs and focus completely on her career as a Softball professional.

Minori picked her glass of green liquid and carefully sipped, seemingly satisfied by the meal. "Ten laps a day, pushups and burpees. It's awful."

"The hell's a burpee?"

"A more difficult push up. You jump at the end and extend your arms as faaaaaaar as you can." She mimicked the burpee and Taiga giggled.

The smaller girl poured herself another glass of the forbidden drink. "How do you manage to sleep with all you do? Are you eating well?"

Minori paused for a second. "I'm totally fine! I love playing around. Also, my buddies are great people! They helped me create a sensible schedule. Although I have not learned how to cook too well yet. You surpassed me!" She laughed. Taiga only stared, studying her.

"Minorin, are you okay?"

That question took her by surprise. Did she not seem fine?

"Of course! I'm a-okay!" She lied, and Taiga knew it too. "Minorin..." The taller girl avoided the gaze of the one in front of her. "Why are you asking?" Minori stood up and started picking up the plates, leaving the glasses behind.

"Leave them be, I'll clean them."

Minori walked towards the kitchen. "I'm fine, Taiga." She tried walking away but was stopped when a small tug from her sleeve caught her attention. "Please."

 _You see right through me, don't you?_ She hesitated. She could just ignore it. She could excuse herself and simply leave. She didn't. By unspoken agreement, the two of them had decided a long time ago to be each other's support in time of need. She had to honor such a promise.

She sat down while Taiga remained standing, their eyes meeting on the same level. "I'm... tired." Taiga said nothing. "I've been tired for a while. Everything is competition at school. Which, fine, I guess it's bound to be like that due to the career I chose, but..."

"There are days I wish I could just sleep in. But I can't. I always must get up. Always must run those 10 km a day. It used to be way easier in high school. Worst of all, I am not the best."

"What?" Taiga asked.

"I am no longer the best. I used to be outstanding in high school." She laughed. "I'm just average when compared to professionals. It was a real punch to my ego, to be honest." She mustn't cry. "I thought things were looking up when I stopped working, I..."

She held her breath, letting her head be guided to her best friend's shoulder. She smelled of pinecones and Mountain Dew. "Being an adult is pretty difficult it seems." Minori chuckled.

"I wish you would have told me sooner."

"You have your own problems."

"We're friends."

"I don't want to be a problem for anyone. You know it."

To Minori's surprise, Taiga slapped her own cheeks with both hands. "Listen to me, Kushieda Minori! I don't want to hear that! You are my best friend! If you ever bring some news that turns out to be a problem, bring it on! We'll deal with them together, no matter how!"

She moved a crimson lock from her face. "It was pretty obvious that it would have been hard, right? We idealize so much what being an adult is, that it's easy to forget just how complicated the world can be. You've worked so hard, for so long. It never got easier."

"But you always did your best. You always manage to come on top because you are amazing. It won't stop being a hassle no matter how much time passes. But I know you. You'll just work harder than anyone else. You'll be better than anyone else. Because that's who Kushieda Minori is. The best of the best." She grabbed her hand with both of hers. "We'll just have to show the world. Right?"

If Minori was being honest, this was very simple advice. Basic encouragement for her very basic problem. How does telling her that she's the best change the fact that she's always tired? How will promising a vague future help? How is holding her hand make anything better?

She did not know. But it did. Good lord, it did. She felt like laughing and crying. She reasoned that such simple words could have such an effect if they come from the right person, in the right moment. She felt as if a kettle of hot water was poured on top of her, washing away the uneasiness that weighed her down. She inhaled deeply. _Why didn't I tell her sooner?_

"Chasing my own happiness, right?"

"Only for yourself." Taiga hugged her as hard as she could. "I know I can't be of much help. I can't give you advice on how to balance a good diet, or some special technique that'll make you run faster. But I can offer you support. So please, talk to me." She hugged her back. "Okay?" She nodded.

Their hug ended as fast as it started, with the both of them being startled by the sudden sound of breaking glass. Minori looked down and then at her. Taiga was pale. "Oh no... No, no, no!" She yelled with a crescendo of panicked notes.

"Taiga, I'm sorry I must've pushed the table, I-"

"The problem is not the glass! It's the soda!"

She examined the liquid, trying to figure out what exactly was wrong with the soda. Taiga continued. "This stupid drink is so full of sugar it'll get super sticky!" Frantically, the smaller woman ran to the bathroom. "It's not here!"

The kitchen. "Not here either!"

The sight was something to behold. Minori had never seen her so preoccupied with cleaning as she did on that very day. She asked if she could help, but she only got a scream as a response.  
"That idiot took them with him! He brought OUR household detergents to work!"

"Huh?"

"And now, he'll get home, see the damn stain and act like the most annoying man ever!"

"Takasu-kun took detergents to work?"

"Ryuuji says the janitor does not put enough elbow grease when cleaning his desk. I've told him a thousand times to just buy some and leave them there. But he's scared they'll just steal them from him. Sometimes I wonder if he does it on purpose to annoy me or if he's just stup- Why are you laughing?"

Minori held her stomach, howling a screech of pure joy, one that she's not let out for a long time. She wipes the small tears forming at the edges of her eyes. "I missed this. I almost forgot how goofy you two are. How fun it is to be with you." Taiga looked away, trying to hide her reddened cheeks. "I'm glad my agony makes you happy."

She moved towards the broken pieces of glass and picked them up. "Come on," Minori said. "Let's go buy this detergent you need." Taiga hesitated for a moment, her still not convinced she could let the previous topic go. "Also, thank you very much, Takasu Taiga. I needed this."

Her friend's cheek twitched into a smile as she cleared the table, bowing to clean up when she got home.

When the two were ready to leave, Taiga turned the lights off, while Minori watched. She frowned and followed Taiga to the elevator.

#

"Is this one good?" Minori asked, holding a box of Ajax detergent. Taiga let her head rest onto her friend's chest, pondering whether she needed liquid or powder cleaning products.

She held the handle of the shopping cart while standing on its bottom portion, with Minori's body acting as a counter-balancing method that kept her from falling. She was having fun. "Gonna be super honest. I'm not sure. Ryuuji's the one that always buys this stuff,"

She extended her hand, grabbing a box of cereal. "I pick up the tasty stuff."

Her redhead friend pushed the cart a little further, making sure she didn't fall off. She was having so much fun. "We can pick them both. I think one of them can be used as a clothing detergent as well."

"Wasn't it used for floors?"

"Yes, but also clothes."

"That doesn't make sense."

"How would you even know? Trust your Minorin, she knows best!" Minori exclaimed.

The shorter girl giggled and brushed the tip of her thumb around her wedding ring. Somehow, she felt she could find the answer from it. No epiphany came, so she decided to buy both. "I'll get you whatever you want, as a thanks for accompanying me."

"Whaaa! Taiga, I couldn't possibly take advantage of your generosity like that!"

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, I insist."

The taller girl placed into the cart some pre-roasted beef. "But you know I'm on a diet," Three packs of spaghetti. "I have to keep my shape," Five instant ramen noodles followed. "Besides, what would Takasu-kun say if he'd see us buy such delicious, but unhealthy treats?"

She brought her chin up, looking at Minori's scarlet eyes from the bottom, a playful smile plastered on her face. "Screw him."

Both friends laughed wholeheartedly, their voice echoing through the aisle of the market. Their cart fills up fast. Sweets, fats and lots of sugary foods. Taiga was having so much fun. Until she didn't anymore. Until her gaze locked with another's.

Yua Minami.

Slowly, she dragged her stare to her shoes, finally noticing just how much of a child she seemed to be, while being carried around by Minori. Her friend stared at her head, confused as to what was the matter. Then she notices the blond woman that was staring at them.

Taiga set her feet on the floor, one foot at a time, her face a boiling red mess. _How embarrassing!_ She thought.

Minami raised a hand, lightly waving at the pair. She wanted to be wiped out from the Earth, right then and there. Her hand moved accordingly, trying to not seem too unnatural. _Ok, this is fine. We can just keep walking forward and act like-_ Minami started to approach them. _Why is she coming here?!_

The petite girl tried to find a way out. Maybe she could climb the aisle shelf? She reasoned it would take too long. She could throw Minori at the other girl? No, that would be high treason! Then maybe... just maybe, murder could be an option. Yes. Murder. If Minami was not going to forget, she'll make her forget!

"Taiga-san! What a pleasant surprise!" Minami smiled.

Taiga clenched her fist. "Minami-san! It's so nice to see you! Ryuuji at the college, why aren't you there?" _Why are you here?!_

"Ah, well," Minami nodded and fixed the crease on her emerald green apron. "I have to work late today. Also, I think Takasu-kun is doing a project with Kaito-san, I'm not in their group."

As soon as the blond girl said as much, Taiga could not help but feel a tinge of satisfaction. The idea of Ryuuji working with her was building up a pit of acidic jealousy she was not ready to confront. She smiled. "Oh! I'm sorry. I didn't know! Guess Ryuuji forgot to mention as much." She glanced in Minori's direction. "This is Minori Kushieda, my closest friend." She turned to the redhead. "She's one of Ryuuji's classmates, Yua Minami." The two of them greeted each other with a small bow.

"So, you're working?" Asked Taiga.

"Yes! Actually, I was following you around."

"What?"

Minami scratched her head, maybe a little flustered. "My manager told me to go help two people that were making a little too much noise in the cleaning products aisle. He said you spent a good 10 minutes reading labels and assessing which cleaning agent to pick."

 _Why does she speak like that?_ She thought. "Since you seemed to be looking for a floor detergent, I brought a few." Ryuuji's classmate pointed at a cart full to the brim with a variety of colorful bottles. "I'm pretty happy I finally found you."

"Oh!" Minori understood. "You can answer our dilemma! Which one? Powder or liquid?"

A sly grin suddenly morphed Minami's face. "I have increased knowledge of all that is cleaning! Three smaller siblings will do that to you! We have," She pulled her cart closer. "Mold removers, rust removers, lime removers, stain removers, l-"

"That one! Stain remover!" Minori yelled, weirdly excited by the interaction. The other girl's hand plunged deep into her cart's contents, pulling seven bottles of different sizes. "I. HAVE. Wine stains, grease stains, dirt stains, mud stains, soda stains-"

"Yes! Soda stains! Soda stains!" Her best friend was jumping up and down and she remained dumbfounded. _What the hell is going on?!_

Nodding in agreement, Minami displayed in front of the pair an array of choices, arranging them by name and price. "And now, I'll tell you the qualities of each product!"

Minori was clapping and Taiga pinched the bridge of her nose. She was exasperated. Truth be told, she tuned out whatever Minori and Minami were talking about, forcing the task of choosing what to purchase on her friend.

She was honestly confused. She knows how Ryuuji is. He is gentle and polite with everyone. He is also very funny and goofy. It really wouldn't surprise her if any other girl fell for him. Luckily, she knew just how much of a dork her husband is and how much he values their relationship. He never takes his wedding ring off. Not even when taking a shower, which in her opinion was kind of gross. He'd say something he learned in college to try and convince her that it wasn't gross, like the fact that gold plated rings do not rust. But they do smell. At least once a month she'd tell him to clean his finger or he'll get a fungus infection. He would reply by kissing her forehead and doing as she had said.

Taiga Takasu was petrified, smiling from ear to ear, lost in her own little world. Minori snapped her fingers, trying to bring her back. "What do you think? It's discounted."

She nodded and grabbed the bottle of liquid from her friend's hands. Minami smiled and bowed. "Thank you for shopping with us. Say hi to Takasu-kun from me, please." And she left. Taiga was annoyed. She hated how much taller she was. She hated the fact that she had long hair like her. She hated that her chest was much big-

"She's nice. Takasu-kun has really nice classmates." The redhead said, pushing the cart. Taiga walked beside her, pouting as she followed. "I guess."

"Oh? Is this a _jealous_ Taiga?"

"Wha?! O-of course not!"

She grabbed the head of the smaller girl, rubbing their cheeks together. "You're so adorable when you're jealous!"

"Minoriiiin! Stooooop!" She yelled. "It's embarrassing!" she did not stop, only changed the rubbing to head petting. "What are you even jealous about? You know how Takasu-kun is. He's probably too occupied looking outside windows to even pay attention to anyone else but you."

"It's not him that I'm worried about. I just get this _bleh_ feeling when thinking that she spends a lot of time with him. That's all."

Minori smiled and spoke in a small voice. "Thank you." Taiga turned; her hands occupied with placing each item in front of the cashier. "For today," Her eyes shone with a blunder of emotions. "It was fun."

"Yeah, it was fun."

#

Ryuuji Takasu loved how his home smelled on Wednesday nights. It was one of the few days during the week in which his wife had the time to cook something for him, and he adored it.

He entered with a bag full of bottles, removed his shoes and placed them next to Taiga's. He took a moment to align her shoes with his and walked towards the living room. "I'm home!"

His greeting was met with silence and a pouting face by his apron wearing wife. She carried her hair in an elegant ponytail that extended just beyond her shoulder blades. The apron hugged her small waist with soft fabric that used to be white. He could have sworn he washed it a few days before.

Taiga stood in front of him, her right hand resting on her hip, waiting with furrowed eyebrows. "Oh, right!" Said Ryuuji, letting his bag and backpack drop beside his feet. He approached her and tenderly left a kiss of her forehead. "Hi."

Taiga was always one to embarrass easily. Granted, not with everyone. Often, she can be loud and crass, but when it came to the people she cared about, she could hardly hide how she's feeling. Throughout the years, she's been getting better at expressing those feelings. She seemed to always fail with her husband.

Ryuuji had to move out the way quickly to avoid the flailing of her wife's arms, her cheeks a crimson color of excitement and shyness. "W-what are you doing you idiot!"

"You wanted a kiss, right?"

"No- I mean, yes, but not right this moment! I'm angry with you!"

He narrowed his eyes. "Why?! I just got here!" Taiga placed a hand on her chest to try and calm her heart down, forcing the smile on her face to disappear. "Why? Because of that!" She pointed at the bag full of bottles. "Stop taking the stuff we use to clean with to work!"

Ryuuji rolled his eyes.

"Don't you roll your eyes with me." She tried to sound intimidating, fully knowing that he found her adorable. "I usually bring them home during lunch time. I just couldn't make it today. Sorry about that."

Ryuuji admired the table that was full of a variety of foods, from steaks with boiled green beans, to a generous plate of white rice and, what seemed to be, some leftovers from her afternoon lunch with Minori. "How was your lunch with Kushieda?"

"It was really good, we ate some del- hey, don't change the subject! We were talk-"

"Taiga." Ryuuji looked at her. "What did you do?"

She gulped and looked away. "Nothing." He narrowed his eyes further. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. Now, come on. Let's eat." She said, kissing him on the cheek, trying as hard as she could to avoid his suspicious gaze.

He reached out for her arm, squeezing it tenderly, before she ran to the other side of the table. "Wait." And she does. She stayed still; Ryuuji's fingers applied the tiniest amount of pressure on her wrist. He felt her heartbeat. Was she feeling excited? Worried? _Guilty?_

"Taiga."

"Y-yes, dear?"

 _Dear?_ He chuckled. _Dead giveaway._ "My foot is stuck." He saw a drop of sweat from her forehead. "Stuck? Stuck with me? How mean."

"Don't flip this around. You know what I'm talking about." She turned to see his left foot. She pursed her lips. "Why is my foot stuck?"

"I don't know," She replied with her smaller voice. She was trying to charm him. He pulled his foot out of the sock which remained stuck. "Was it soda?" She looked away again and he sighed.

"What?! Why can't I drink soda? You ain't my dad, you're my husband!"

"It's not that you can't drink it! You drink too much of it while on campus!" She was shocked. "How?"

"Your breath."

She covered her mouth, a finger near to his face. "Why do you have to be like that when it comes to food? We can never eat what I like! We only eat vegetables!"

He stared. "What are you talking about? We eat lots of meat." She crossed her arms. "No we don't!" Ryuuji pushed his fingers through his hair. "Taiga, you cooked a pair of steaks."

"Yeah! Because we're HUMANS! We eat meat! If we were zebras, we would eat grass or leaves! We are humans and I want meat!"

He stayed silent, studying her face. Her beautiful face. He came closer, extending his arms to hug her. She feigned annoyance, trying to avoid his hug, only to be pulled in as he let a soft laugh escape his lips. She buried her face on his shoulder. "Just be careful of how much you drink of it, okay?" She nodded.

"You're so annoying."

"I know."

"I wouldn't have you any other way, tho."

"I'm like this because I care about you." She tried mighty hard to deepen their hug. Ryuuji kissed the top of her head, while lightly brushing her hair with his fingers, untangling any knot that might be in there. His touch was soft and calm, the symphony of a serene night in their beloved home the best song they could wish for. Taiga produces a melodic sound. "I couldn't clean it. I did try."

Then he let go of her and asked if you could pass his bag over. She rolled her eyes and he lifted an eyebrow. "After dinner?" He shook his head, his enthusiastic expression getting on her nerves. "Come on, it'll be quick."

She does as he asked, and he puts his cleaning gloves on, a smile that she's seen a thousand times plastered on his features. "I'll make short work of you, damn stains!"

Taiga sat beside him, a little too close to the stain, watching him prepare his arsenal for the battle. She studied his hands. His face. His lips. Her hand extended to his cheek, pushing his face in a playful manner. "You look so cute."

Ryuuji's eyes met hers, a pool of golden emotion, as he pulled a strand of his short blue curls with his left hand. "Are you embarrassed I called you cute?" She giggled. "W-well, you always call me handsome, but almost never cute. You know, with these shitty eyes, I could hardly be called cute."

"Stop that. I love your eyes. I married those eyes."

That goofy smile that Taiga loves so much let itself be known. "And you are handsome. And cute," She moved closer. "And an idiot." Her hand cupped his cheek, caressing his lips with her thumb. "My idiot." The two of them closed their eyes, their faces getting closer as they did. They never kissed. "R-Ryuuji, m-my hair!"

He moved to his side, trying to understand what had happened. _Oh_. Her hair got stuck on the sugary stain along with his sock. "My hair!" She pulled. "It hurts!"

If he had to be honest with himself, he panicked a little. Seeing Taiga in distress always had an adverse effect on him and his ability to think straight. Or at least this is what he told her when she asked why his first instinct was to pull her hair more when he saw that that clearly did not work.

"I know, I'll free one strand at a time!" He tried and made a mess. "Maybe use some baking soda? It might lessen the stickiness." He did and it just dirtied her hair further. "Ah! This is frustrating!"

He then used some ice to try and freeze it. "How is ice gonna help?"

"I don't know, shut up and let me try already!"

It didn't work. It had been an hour and the food was cold. She bopped his forehead. "You suck." He smiled a smile that slowly changed into a frown. "Taiga..." She inched backwards. "No. Please. Don't."

He stood and walked to the bathroom. "We have to."

She was terrified. She untangled her hair as best she could. One at a time, she felt the vibrations of her husband's steps. She freed one strand. He was approaching. She was sweating bullets. And when he arrived, she was pale as if she had seen a ghost. "G-get away from me, you stupid mutt!"

He got closer and kneeled. "I'm sorry." And he pulled a pair of scissors. "NOOOOOO! Get away, get away, get away!" She tried to kick him. On the cheek, on the stomach, on his legs; he resisted all the hits, getting closer and closer. "Taiga! Stand still already!"

"No! You get away from me! I have ONE thing of decent size in this body of mine and you want to cut it!"

He furrowed his eyebrows, receiving the base of her foot straight to the jaw. "Why aren't you afraid of my kicks anymore?! I've been treating you too nicely!" He almost managed to pin her down, his right arm as far as he could from the two of them to avoid getting hurt with the scissors. "I was never afraid of your kicks!"

"Get away!"

"Taiga!"

"Ryuuji!"

"Ink-" They stopped. Inko was saying something. "Ink-" Ryuuji grin was one of anticipation. "Inko-chan! Come on! Say your name!" Taiga looked at the parakeet with honest curiosity as to whether he was going to say it. "Ink- Ink- Incognito!"

*Snip*

She screamed and kicked him in the stomach one final time as she held her chopped hair between her fingers. Their discussion did not last long as she demanded they find a hairdresser immediately. He obliged and went searching for one. They found this little place, with a single window and door. Ryuuji stood beside Taiga as she asked for a haircut. The old lady that answered was the cutest woman the both has ever seen. The pair asked why she was open at such hours and she replied with a confused look. She then asked what time it was. The married couple exchanged looks; doubt in the ability of the old woman grew.

When they got home, she exclaimed that she had received the best haircut of her life. Ryuuji agreed and they sat together on the same chair as they ate their cold dinner. She asked him to go to bed with her and he replied with the annoying smile she loves so much. He stayed up cleaning the stain and she waited in bed.

When he finally finished, he was kind of embarrassed to admit he had fun cleaning up. She told him that she loves him. He told her that he loves her. They tenderly embraced and fell asleep.


	4. Restaurant Life

Ryuuji tried his hardest to free himself from her grip. He has found that even when asleep, his little wife had incredible strength capable of immobilizing him under their bed sheets. In the past, he's tried to wiggle his way out of her embrace, with most attempts having little success. The few times he's managed, he discovered how an early bad-mood Taiga would affect their morning routine.

Nevertheless, he moved her arm as slowly as he could, placing it over his pillow; one which she intuitively snatched and hugged with a little too much force. Ryuuji made his way to the kitchen, wearing his favorite apron and promptly cleaned his favorite knife.

"Rice cooker, raw salmon, dried seaweed..." Ryuuji mumbled.

With the accuracy of an automated machine, he lifted the full salmon, gutted it, and sliced it in symmetric rectangular shapes. While the rice cooked, his favorite weapon made short work of silken tofu cubes that were to be garnished with a healthy amount of shredded wakame seaweed. Ryuuji smiled at his work, dancing from one side of the kitchen to the other, a morning symphony of boiling water and sizzling oil.

He suddenly twitched when a small hand touched his arm.

"Why did you escape our bed, you stupid mutt?" said his wife, bed sheets wrapped around her shoulders.

He spied on her with the corner of his eyes. "I did not escape. I'm cooking breakfast. Yasuko's coming." She squeezed his arm ever so lightly. "To me it felt like you escaped. Using a pillow as a substitute did not work. I recognized that it wasn't you almost immediately."

"Almost?"

"I was sleeping."

He chuckled, following up with a long-winded yawn. Silence fell between the couple, with both intently staring at the cooking fish. "You look tired." She said.

"I'm fine." He flips the salmon. "You barely slept. You have bags under your eyes."

The timer of the rice cooker is almost done. "It's alright, you don't need to worry."

"Your job's been killing you. You have been coming home at 9 PM every night of the week. We barely spend time together! You are exhausted, admit it!"

"First of all, I got home at 9 only on Thursday and Friday. And I always come home for lunch!"

She held his arm a little tighter. "Well, these last two days felt like a lot longer to me. You've rested so little." Her eyes soften a little. "Come on, Ryuuji. I'll cook. Go back to bed."

His shoulders slumped as he looked for the rice cooker, opening the lid. The rice was ready. "Taiga. I want to do it." She let go of his arm. "I love cooking. I want to make it." He tried to smile through his tiredness. "It'll be fine."

Taiga was not pleased, her face changing from a look of concern to utter annoyance. She finally sighed and planted a small kiss on her husband's right cheek. "Alright then! I want food sooner than now!"

She made her way to the dining table. "Sweet onigiris and some pork!"

"Pork's for lunch."

She growled. "You've done it now, you ungrateful dog! Fine, I'll accept whatever you're cooking!" She sat down and he laughed, an honest smile blossoming on his features. "Yes! Right away!"

Yasuko arrived soon after, her usual energetic attitude shining with her every word. "Ryuuchan! Taiga-chan! Good morning!" She went straight for Taiga's neck, nuzzling and carrying her as if she was a human sized doll. "Yachan, you're suffocating me,"

Their morning reunion continued with a similar amount of noise, with banter that ranged from the mundanity of Yasuko living alone, to the extravagancy of high class clients Yasuko drinks with.

"News! News!" yelled the nearly featherless parakeet. "Exactly, Inko-chan, I've got some news!" Said the older woman, her breast being an ever so present distraction for Taiga. Breakfast was almost ready.

"I've got a boyfriend!"

A low pitch screech came from the kitchen, followed by the sound of rushing water. "W-what? When?!" Ryuuji asked, his hand palpitating after he burned it. "A few weeks ago." She smiled.

He stared at his mother with disbelief, unsure as to why she had neglected to mention such an important development. "Congratulations Yachan!" He calmed himself and resumed cooking, allowing his wife to continue the conversation. "Describe him! Tell us everything!"

"Not EVERYTHING! The essential, please."

Yasuko laughed and Taiga rolled her eyes, signaling her mother-in-law to tell her story. "Weeeeell, we met by chance." Ryuuji tasted the miso soup he was preparing. Not quite done yet. "I was in a restaurant, eating alone, since my son and daughter have decided to abandon me."

"...Yasuko." He growled and she brightly chuckled.

"He was a true gentleman, offering me a drink. I offered him the seat next to me and we started talking. He said he was on a lunch break from some company he was working for nearby." Taiga saw her husband approach, a spoon full of liquid in hand.

"He's also quite handsome, always accompanying me home, sometimes staying over to-"

"AAAAH! Stop! We get it!" Ryuuji screamed, truly frightened by the possibility of knowing whatever his mother was about to say.

"Grow up, Ryuuji." Said Taiga as he blew on the spoon and brought it near her lips. She drank, tasting the miso soup he was making. "Maybe a little more salt?" He nodded and walked back to the kitchen.

"Fine, he seems nice, but have you noticed anything about him?"

"Ryuuji!" Protested Taiga.

His mother thought for a moment, seriously considering his question. "Not really. He's just great."

One by one, the different entries of their breakfast were being placed on the table, along with some warm tea. "Mom, you have to be careful with all type of m-" He stopped as his wife punched him in the stomach, not hard enough to hurt, but enough to shut him up. "Don't be a creep."

"Don't worry about it, Taiga-chan. Ryuuchan has always been very protective of his mommy. But I promise you both, he's perfect. In fact," She went for her purse, pulling two letters shaped papers. "I want you two to meet him! Tonight! Are my favorite pair of people free?"

"Yas-" He tried to speak, before being interrupted by his wife, who's already grabbed the letters from his mother's hands. "Of course, we'll be there, Yacchan! We would not miss it!"

Yasuko beamed a smile of utter bliss, radiating and blinding the young couple. Ryuuji sat, having decided to leave any further question about his mom's relationship on pause, something that Taiga seemed pleased about.

Breakfast progressed as it usually did when they were still in high school, sending the only man of the house into a trance, experiencing memories of the _old days._ He would be lying to himself if he were to say that he did not miss cooking for his mother and his wife, now being unable to do it as often as he'd wish to. He missed getting yelled at by Taiga in the early mornings, or having to wake up his mother, covering her with a blanket every so often if necessary. Granted, these things are not obviously pleasant, some of the screaming that used to come from his wife was annoying at best, nerve-grating at worst.

But he missed it. Of course, it does not mean that she does not try to ruin her vocal cords with screams since they got married; she is more than eager to let him have an earful of her complaints if necessary. He just missed the simpler times. Times when the three of them, his little family, could spend the day doing nothing. He would cook, they would chat. Taiga and he would play video games or watch a show, Yasuko would be asleep nearby.

He stared at his wife and mother's faces, the both of them engaged in an exciting conversation about different types of beer. Taiga turned to him, holding a look as if wanting to ask _what was the matter._ He smiled and reached for her face, gently stroking her cheek.

"You look beautiful today." He smiled.

This, as he should have expected, was met with a ball of rice to the face, with Taiga mumbling an incoherent blunder of words, her face burning red. "I-idiot! Why are you saying such embarrassing things in front of your mother!"

Yasuko laughed and Ryuuji yelled, annoyed by the wasted food. Taiga retorted by saying that it was his fault. And they ate and laughed. They spoke of things they haven't spoken about in a long time, and for a few hours, at least to Ryuuji, it felt as if he were back in high school, when things were simpler.

#

Sometime after his mom left, Ryuuji decided to relax with his loving, although still annoyed, wife. She wanted to help him make lunch and prepare some clothes for their dinner during the evening. After eating the ever so awaited pork, they went for a stroll to the nearby ice-cream shop for some ice cream. The mundanity of their day was a relief.

They watched Taiga's favorite show as she sat on her husband's lap. He brushed her hair while she tried to explain what had happened from the last time Ryuuji had seen the show. Apparently, the butler did not know there was poison in the coffee, so he was thought to be innocent. Despite that, Taiga was not convinced. She felt as if the butler had more to do with the crime, since he was the only one who could access the master bedroom. Ryuuji disagreed, feeling that blaming the butler would be what the maid, who was actually the mistress of the victim, would want.

This went on for a few hours. Until they decided to have some alone time (from Inko-chan) in their bedroom. After sex, they fell asleep, too tired from the arduous exercise.

"Ryuuji! Wake up!" Taiga shook him, bedsheets completely forgotten as she stood up.

Begrudgingly, Ryuuji opened his eyes. "Umm, what is it?"

His wife jumped off the bed, her body bare, searching for something around the room. He rose, wincing at the radiating pain on his back. "Look!" She held the letters her mother-in-law had given them. Ryuuji stared at the paper, reading his name and the name of the restaurant. "...Ginza Kojyu. What about it?"

Taiga let go of the letters, pulling on her hair in frustration. "It's a 2 Michelin star restaurant! And we have only two hours to prepare and get there!" Her husband understood. "Ah! I should have recognized the design of the invitation! I'm going to take a bath."

Once she was in the bathroom, he started cleaning the room, picking up their clothes and fixing the bed. He notices that a good amount of hair from his wife had accumulated on his side of the bed. He reasoned that maybe they should try to be a little gentler during their most intimate times.

"Done! Go on! Take a bath, quick!" Said Taiga, whose body was still partly wet with a towel wrapped around her shapes. He nodded and lightly massaged the scratches he could reach. "Wait." He stopped.

Slowly, her fingers followed the curves of his back, tracing every redden spot with a soft touch. "Sorry about this." She kissed one of the scratches. "Master will do her best not to hurt her little puppy too much next time. Now go." He shook his head, grinning like an idiot, and left for the bathroom.

The room was still warm from her wife's bath, the mirror still foggy. He filled most of the bathtub, scrubbing the sweat and tiredness away. For just one moment he relaxed. He wondered who his mother's boyfriend could be. What kind of man did she meet that could invite them to such an expensive restaurant? What could his intentions be? He questioned himself whether or not he was being paranoid.

A loud noise came from outside, his wife seemingly annoyed by the dresses she had. It seemed very peculiar how much she knew about the restaurant they were to go to. He's never dined in a place with a dress code.

Ryuuji washed his hair, thinking of nothing and everything at once. _Taiga has been in these types of restaurants before._ He frowned. He seldomly thought of their wealth disparity; on the different experiences they both had growing up regarding money.

He remembered their fathers and their mothers. He remembered their alliance to help each other get with the other's best friend. He smiled, understanding the irony of all the events that led them to being together. Then, he thought of Taiga. His Taiga! His wife! He loved being able to say that. His smile grew wider. "Taiga Takasu, my wife."

His back was clean, and his thinking time was over, feeling like a prune, he left the bathtub.

"What took you so long? Didn't I tell you we're in a hurry?!"

He entered their bedroom, unable to hide his blossoming grin as he admired Taiga's dress. She wore a night-blue dress that comfortably followed the curves of her silhouette. A strapless, single piece gown that perfectly complemented the light brown strikes of her hair, which gently rested on her uncovered left shoulder. The necklace he'd given her still adorned her neck. "What are you looking at?"

"You look... wow."

She avoided his eyes. "I-I always look wow, you idiot... n-now, get dressed! We have to leave in half an hour!"

And without ever being able to stop looking at her, he did as she said. "The restaurant should be in Carioca, so a 30 minutes' drive should be enough." She turned to him. "What are you doing with your hair?"

"What do you mean?" Ryuuji asked, as he dragged his hands up his hair. "Why are you combing your hair like that? Pull it back."

He was not sure what she was talking about. How was he combing his hair wrong?

"Are you using the gel I bought you?" He did not answer.

"Why not?! I bought it so you would use it!"

"But I did not want it! Also, I never need it!"

She crossed her arms, tapping her foot. "You have the chance to use it now! Come on. Let me do it." He backed away. "You are far too violent when handling my hair."

From the look she gave him, she did not seem to like that last remark. He gulped. "So, you're not going to let me fix your hair?" She asked, her gaze burning a hole in his skull.

"I-I mean, I can do it by myse- HOLD ON!" Ryuuji knew he had to be careful with whatever his next words would be. At that moment, she had several hostages. Socks, underwear, pants, shirts, she held the world. All the clothes he has painstakingly separated, by color and type, all between her fingers, as she threatened to undo the harmony he had created in the drawers they used to reside in.

"Well?!"

 _Maybe I can reason with her! A compromise! Maybe she wants som-_ A pair of socks were undone, flying in opposite directions of the room. "ONE!" She readied her next victim, a perfectly folded shirt. "Taiga, come on, you pull my hair too ha-" It came unfolded. "TWO!" Her fingers dug deep in their drawers. She was ready to make a disaster.

Ryuuji stared at their bedroom. Their perfectly clean bedroom. _This is for you._

"THRE-"

"Wait, wait, waaaaaait! You got it!" He conceded. "My hair is yours."

She hummed a victory chime. "YOU are all mine." She sat on his lap; her fingers full of the gel she kept nearby. "Just relax. Your wife knows what she's doing." And her fingers were deep between his blue locks. Slow and methodical, she untangled the small knots he had, pulling his hair backwards. He had to admit, it was pleasant. "This feels nice." She wiggled her hips on his lap. He swallowed. "Of course. I told you it was alright."

When she was done, a slight sensation of relief rose from his chest. They had to leave and his beautiful woman was on his lap. They would not have time. "Done!" She was shining. "You look very handsome, Ryuuji." Taiga announced, planting a small kiss on his lips. It was all he could do to prevent himself from throwing her onto the bed and... well, he had to stop thinking about that. It was not the right time.

"Ready?"

And they left for the restaurant. Taiga had decided against using a GPS, since she was confident enough that she could guide them while he drove, without getting lost.

His stomach was a mess. He was nervous. Who was this man? Why did his mother keep it a secret? It had been so long since his mother was in a relationship, he'd come to accept that it would never happen again. Not that he didn't want it to happen, he just... grew accustomed to her being single.

 _I'm a terrible son._ He thought, while turning when Taiga told him to.

Most of all, he was worried. He's been worried for her ever since she started in the hostess business. So many men. So many of them are interested in only one thing. And he hated it. She's worked so much, being as good a mother as she could possibly be, and-

"Ryuuji. You missed the turn." Taiga shook his arm.

He nodded and looked for a roundabout. "Which way did you say we needed to go?"

"Left. Well, right, since we're coming from the opposite side now," She paused. "Ryuuji, could you stop on the side of the road for a moment?"

Ryuuji turned to look at her partner. "We're gonna be late."

"Please?"

Reluctantly, he moved into the emergency lane, allowing the lights from his car to die down. He moved his eyes towards his wife, waiting. "Taiga...?" She reached for his hand, resting on the gear stick, fingers intertwining with his. "Are you okay? What's got you so worried?"

Ryuuji's face cleared, shaking his head. Her eyes met his, shining a peculiar intensity. She persisted. "Hey, you DO know you can tell me anything, right?" She shifted her body and searched his face, until she felt the slightly coarse surface of his almost perfectly shaven face. For a few moments, he remained still. But when his shoulders dropped, he did his best to bury his face in her tiny hand.

Every time she's touched him, he's always been amazed by how soft her skin felt, her hands a work of art. He sometimes wished he was small enough to completely fit in her palm, protected by her warmth, and to find that place where only she and him existed, away from all the world's problems. But alas, that was not possible.

He sighed. "I know...I guess, you're right. I am worried." She stayed silent. "It's been so long since she's been with someone. And she didn't even tell me..."

"Yasuko has always been overly positive. More than she should have been, due to her trusting nature, she naturally believes people and takes their word at face value. To the point that after so many years, she was still in love with that man..." He felt Taiga's thumb hovering over his lips. "We rarely talk about all of this, d'you know? She understands how I feel, and I know she acknowledges her past mistakes, but sometimes she's so immature! I..."

"I don't know how to make sure she's safe. She's my mother and I want her to be happy." He bit his lip in frustration. "It was so much easier when it was just the three of us." He found his wife's eyes, feeling them on him. "Our little family..." And he couldn't speak anymore. He could not see her, a tinge of guilt and melancholy blossoming from his chest, all the way to his throat.

She brought his head down, touching his forehead with hers. "You've always been one to worry for others. You should not feel bad about that. It's part of why I love you so much."

"But of course, there comes a point where we might indulge a little too much into trying to rationalize their behavior, idealizing how they're supposed to be... how the perfect parent should behave. In the end, we almost forget that they are real people. I know I did when it came to my own mother." Ryuuji remembered. When she told him how they had come to an understanding, he was honestly amazed.

"Trust." Her voice was a whisper. "You have to trust her, the same way you trusted me." He closed his eyes, focusing on her words. "Those few months I left...They were so scary. I left without saying a word, afraid of how you would react. And all I could do was send a message."

"So many things could have gone wrong. There were times I was genuinely afraid I would not be able to see you again. But every time those fears came, you swiftly pushed them away with those dorky messages you sent me every single day. Because you knew we would meet again. Why were you so sure?"

"Because I believed in you." Ryuuji said.

"You knew that I could grow on my own. That I could fix things or, at the very least, clarify the problems I had with my mother. And I believed in her. And I believed you. I knew you would be strong, and that I would find you once more."

Ryuuji chuckled. "You headbutted my jaw."

"You deserved that." She smiled. "You do not need to stop worrying. That's only natural. But you should-"

"Trust her." They spoke in unison.

 _Trust, uh?_ The word bounced around his mind, gaining new meaning the more he thought of it. He had to trust her. She's his mother. He can't protect her forever and he'll need to believe in her judgment, like he's done many times before. The feeling in his chest did not go away completely, although it was greatly diminished. He breathed in and exhaled. She parted their foreheads, leaving a small kiss on his nose before settling in her seat.

"I'll be with you, okay? Like always, since ancient times, right? The dragon and the tiger." Taiga tightened her grip on his hand.

#

Yasuko's boyfriend was called Haro Kobuto, a businessman of the Fujitsu Enterprise, a multinational company, Tokyo headquarters. He was a manager for the something-something branch, with a something job. Taiga wasn't really paying attention. Instead, she was focused on his interactions with her husband.

The table they dined in was decorated with a small batch of flowers and candles, as the lower lights of the restaurant were supposed to set a mood for the food they were going to eat. The first dish consisted of a hollowed tomato with a tuna-based filling, garnished by weird aromatics that Taiga did not recognize. Needless to say, she was not pleased.

"This looks amazing! It's incredible how a simple dish like this can be made to look so elegant!" Ryuuji said.

Kobuto smiled. "This restaurant has a knack for making the most beautiful dishes out of the simplest ingredients." He gestured towards the food. "Do begin please."

And her husband ate. He seemed delighted, shaking from the impact of the flavor. Yasuko seemed to react in a similar way.

In all the times she's visited the restaurant, she's never tasted this tomato-thingy. Not that she would; why would she eat vegetables in such a fancy restaurant?

Hesitantly, she brought the fork to her mouth, avoiding the parsley leaf that rested on top. It was delicious. "Mmm, it's okay." She commented. No way she'll let Ryuuji know or else he'll start making healthier food and...

"I'm glad you enjoyed it, Taiga-san. I understand you've visited this establishment before?" Kobuto interjected. Yasuko brought his arm closer.

"Yeah, I've come here a few times with my mother and her husband. This is the first time for this guy," She pointed at Ryuuji. "As you can see, he loves food." His face shifted into a shade of red. "I-it's just that, the place is so pretty! Look at the quality of this table!"

"Ryuuchan is a great cook. If we ever have the opportunity to visit their home, his chef's skills will blow you away."

"M-mom! Stop!"

Taiga sighed. Her husband is so adorable. She held his hand.

"You have been married for two years? I'm impressed, such a young couple! A lawyer and an engineer. Truly amazing." Now it was Taiga's cheeks that reddened. The mention of them being married always made her feel as if a bunch of butterflies were flying in her stomach. She was smiling like an idiot.

The first course arrived soon after. They were eating a lot of ethnic food, apparently. This time, it was a small plate of Italian spaghetti, carbonara style.

Once again, Ryuuji admired the plating, trying to pinpoint each and every ingredient in their dish. He stopped the waiter, asking whether or not they used a raw egg to give the creamy texture of the plate. When he confirmed it, he was elated. Kobuto laughed.

The man in front of them spoke a little of his business and his past dates with Yasuko. They've been in several places around the Tokyo district. Yasuko recounted a time they had decided to cross a lake by rowing a boat. The man smiled, mentioning how Yasuko makes him feel much younger than he actually is. The older woman rolled her eyes; he's only 34.

In all this, she turned to Ryuuji. He seemed happy. She rested her head on his arm. She was so relieved to see him like this.

When dessert came, an artisanal _gelato_ , the night was coming to an end. An overall pleasant evening. As of now, this Kobuto guy has a pretty good sense of humor, despite his uptight look. Taiga tasted her icy treat with eagerness, allowing the strawberry and vanilla flavors to govern her mouth.

"This is so good! Isn't it Ryuuchan?" Yasuko exclaimed, her face slightly red. Ryuuji nodded and Kobuto bumped his shoulder with hers. A few moments later, Yasuko excused herself for the restroom.

Taiga kept eating while her husband and the older man conversed. "Your mother is really something. She's so full of life." Ryuuji lifted his chin, hinting a smile. "She really is."

Taiga kept on eating, her dessert disappearing before anyone else's. _Oh_ she thought, regretting her hastiness. A searing pain radiating from her temples. _Brain freeze._ She held her head still, moving her fingers in a circular motion, trying to warm her brain up, even if it didn't make sense.

Ryuuji admired the spectacle, before sighing and bringing a drink near her lips. "I always tell you to eat ice cream with patience. You always freeze your brain."

"B-but it's so goooood. Ugh." She said, seemingly being tortured. She drank, feeling her partner's warm hand on her shoulder. She really appreciated that.

Kobuto rested his chin on his hand. "You two are very close, aren't you?" He paused, realizing what he just said. "I-I mean," He laughed. "Of course, you are, you're married!" Ryuuji chuckled. "Your mother and I," He turned to her husband. "We are certainly not in the right moment to speak of marriage and such. But I do really like her. She's got this real genuine look in her eyes. The same one I find in yours when you look in Taiga-san's eyes."

"Yeah, if there's one thing I can say about my mom, is that she's really honest with, well, everything."

Kobuto exhaled, releasing some kind of tension he's been holding in. "I was lucky, you know? To have found her in that restaurant the day I did."

"Right, she did mention that" Taiga's head was starting to settle.

"Yeah, she was on her lunch break and I was in mine. She ordered some food, suggesting this especially good kaiseki plate. She said it was her favorite."

Taiga remained silent. She was confused. Did Yasuko have another part time job? To her knowledge, she hasn't taken any extra jobs ever since Ryuuji started working. She's still a hostess...

"Erm, y-yeah, sorry to ask, but which restaurant are you referring to?"

Kobuto's face shifted in confusion. "The Takosaki? Metropolitan Tokyo?"

_Oh no._

"Oh yeah! Takosaki! It's been a while since I've visited her while she was working." Ryuuji lied.

Kobuto laughed. "You don't know where your own mother works?"

"O-of course! It's just that I've had my mind all over the place during these past few weeks. With work and college and all that..." Taiga knew he was struggling to speak. She moved closer to him.

"Ah, no worries. I could not be one to criticize. I've worked a lot in the past, forgetting about birthdays and names. It's of the lifestyle of a businessman." He said.

She was scared to look at her husband's face. He lied for her. No, maybe not. Maybe Yasuko kept it a secret from Ryuuji and her. That's all.

Ryuuji turned to Taiga, deep black eyes meeting amber. She gave him a reassuring smile, somehow communicating what she was thinking to him. He smiled back.

"I'm baaaack! How's it going?" Yasuko said, excitedly taking a seat.

Kobuto planted a small kiss on her cheek, which burned bright red. "I was telling Ryuuji-san how we met at your workplace."

Yasuko's face went pale.

Taiga saw Ryuuji's eyes darken for the briefest of moments. And he spoke. "Yeah, the Takosaki is a great place to eat. Sorry I haven't visited as of late." He laughed. And his mother along with him. "N-no worries, Ryuuchan, I know you've been busy," She shifted in her seat. "But how about this _gelato_? I'm the only one that hasn't finished it yet!" And just like that, the topic was dropped.

Ryuuji spoke as he normally would for the rest of the night, although Taiga could feel the slight hesitation in his voice all throughout. He tightened his grip on her hand and she stayed near him, letting him know that she was there. Always with him, no matter what.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to use the ending of the Light Novel as the canon for this story. In it, Taiga leaves for only a couple of months (Instead of a year, like in the Anime), returning at the beginning of their third and last year. From that point on, they finished high school as a couple. It is implied that they got married soon after.


	5. Exam Life

"Okay," Taiga Takasu sat on her living room sofa, placing her feet on her husband's back. "Kirchhoff's law of current. Explain." She closed the book, focusing on Ryuuji's back.

He gulped. "Yeah, I know this one," He brushed the tail of his headband aside, as it kept covering the paper he was writing on when he inched forward. The headband said, "Fight on!" in capital letters, a somewhat ridiculous gift his wife had made him to motivate his studying.

"The sum of all currents in a single node is always going to be zero."

"Can you sum currents that flow towards the node and away from the node?"

"N- I mean, yes!"

"BZZZZZZZZT!" Her foot crashed with his right shoulder, forcing a howl out of him. "Taiga! I corrected myself almost immediately!" She hit him again. "No whining. Next Question!"

Ryuuji stared ahead, preparing himself. "Formula to measure the Capacitance of a Capacitor and it's unit."

"Capacitance is calculated by dividing the Charge of the current accumulating on the plate and the Electric Potential Difference of the electric field. It's measured in Tesl-"

Another kick landed on his shoulder, prompting him to grab Taiga's leg. "BZZZZZZZT! The unit is Farads!" His eyes twitched. "Can you hit me a little gentler?!"

"Sorry, no can do. This will help you learn faster. I read it in a book once." He was unimpressed. "You don't read." She avoided his judging gaze and mumbled in disagreement. "Fine, I saw it on TV. But my point still stands! Fear of being hit will encourage you to do better."

"Or it'll dislocate my shoulder."

"A risk I'm willing to take. Next question!" He smiled and faced ahead. "What's Maxwell's second law?" He straightened. "It's Gauss's Law of Magnetism. There can't be magnetic monopoles, which means that the net flow of the magnetic field in an enclosed surface will always be zero!"

"DING DING DING DING! Correct!" The brunette girl exclaimed, rubbing her feet over his shoulder blades. "You've won yourself a foot massage... as in, I use my feet to give you a back massage." He smiled, arching his back, and resting his elbows on the table he has been studying on. She was humming a melody, synchronizing the circular motion of her legs with the rhythm. He smirked to himself. He couldn't get mad with her, no matter how much he tried or how many times she's kicked him, as paradoxical as it sounds.

Ryuuji let go of some air. "I hate Electromechanics. I'm doing a Computer Engineering major, why do we need to study this?" He allowed his shoulders to drop. The 'foot massage' was starting to feel nice.

His wife placed a thumb under her chin. "I don't know, and while I don't understand it, this stuff seems kind of essential for your bachelor's. But I do agree. It's boring." She looked around the room. "I'm kinda hungry. Want to eat something?"

"We've already had lunch; we're not eating again." He leaned his head on the table. "I'm just so tired of studying this thing..."

Taiga planted her heels." You say that about every subject."

"I know, Taitai." And she removed her feet from his back in an instant. A dangerous aura dropped in their peaceful house as Taiga's eyes narrowed, cutting the air that separated her from her husband. She spoke slowly.

"Since we're married, I'll give you three- No, five seconds to explain why, on God's green earth, would you call me, the woman you LOVE, by another woman's name?"

When Ryuuji turned his head, he realized two things: his wife is really good at arming herself with her wooden sword in the blink of an eye and that he is terrified of said sword.

Her face was on the verge of tears, biting her lower lip with uncaring intensity as she took a stance, ready to attack.

"T-Taiga, where'd you get that sw-"

"Answer me! Now!" She cried out.

"It's a nickname!"

She lowered her weapon. "Huh?"

He dried the sweat that seemed to magically appear on his forehead. "Y-yeah. I have been thinking of a few nicknames I could give you. I thought of Iga, Tai, Tigress, but honestly, it was kind of difficult to know which one would fit best without trying them out. I liked Taitai the most because- Taiga?"

She wiped her tears, blowing her nose with a tissue from the multiple tissue boxes that Ryuuji had placed around their house. "Are you okay?"

"I feel stupid. You made me feel stupid."

"You don't need my help for that." He laughed and she interjected with a murderous stare. "Got it, bad timing."

She sighed. "Sorry... It's just... Sorry." And his heart felt like it being strangled, giving in to his instinct to embrace her. She did not protest the sudden show of affection. She stayed quiet for a moment, letting him pet her head, before breaking the silence. "I like the idea of nicknames."

"Do you like Taitai?" He was slightly blushing. Ryuuji did spend a lot of time coming up with something he liked; but at the same time, he knew that Taiga had to approve it as well to truly be a thing between them. Although her first reaction was not one, he expected (He did not think she'd threaten him. At least not immediately.) he could not wait to get her input.

"I hate it." She snuggled further into his neck.

"I'm glad you li- Wait, what?! Why?!"

"Oh, come on," She wrapped her arms around his neck. "Taitai? Seriously? I know, you're not the pinnacle of creativity, but that seems lazy."

He couldn't believe his ears. He's not creative? Nonsense!

"I have made countless recipes that you ADORE!" He tried to pull away from the hug, with little success. "You're always like: _Ryuuji, bake that lemon pie with the orange slices again_ ," He imitated her voice with an annoyingly high-pitched version of his. " _Ryuuji, make the crispy baked potato with meat and veg_ -"

"I get it! Jeez! You're creative when cooking!" She tightened the hug. "Then just try again."

He placed his hands on her waist, his thumb brushing against the exposed skin of her lower back. "Like you could do any better..."

He _felt_ her smirk. "Oh, it's that a challenge?"

She finally stepped back, her fingers entangled with the blue strokes on his hair, whilst her eyes studied his. "I bet I could find a better nickname for you way faster."

He raised an eyebrow. "One that I have to like as well, right?" She nodded. "Ah! I'll make you regret ever trying to challenge me, Mrs Takasu."

"We'll see about that, Mr Takasu."

They both dropped onto the couch, knowing full well that if they kept it up, they would end up having sex and Ryuuji just did not have time for that, since his commute to college takes at least an hour and a half.

Luckily, Ryuuji's phone started ringing. He stared at Taiga as he stood up and huffed in annoyance. He grabbed the phone and read the name of the caller out loud. It was his mom. He set the phone down and crushed his wife with his weight, not before making sure he's not hurting her. She planted a small kiss on his cheek. "It's been four days, Ryuuji."

His face was melting on the couch. "I know," his words were muffled. "I have talked to her. You've heard me talk to her. I just don't have the energy to deal with all that right about now."

He was tired. Tired of his job. Tired of feeling tired. And now, the drama he has going on with his mother. He just did not want to deal with anything anymore. And so, he didn't. He ignored the call and hugged his wife, promising himself that after a few minutes, he'll go back to being a responsible adult.

#

Taiga's books were all over the place. It's been two hours and article 4, section 9, clause 5 was nowhere to be found in all the reference books that were suggested by her syllabus. Book after book, page after page; all versions of article 4 for _Japanese Labor Rights,_ was always shortened by one section. 8 sections.

How in the hell could her Human Rights Course professor reference a section that does not exist? Was she going mad? No, maybe the books she was using were not up to date. Or maybe, her teacher, who is a Doctor of Juridical Science, is an idiot. Yeah, that's the most likely reason.

She produced a frustrated screech, dropping with a muted _thud_ on the carpet. She needed a moment.

Annoyed by the lack of clarity of the notes she took in class, she decided that she needed something cold to cool her brain. "Popsicle!" She demanded, her scream echoing into the emptiness of her house.

_Oh, right. Ryuuji's not home yet... I wonder how his exam is going._ She reminded herself while doing the great effort of standing up and opening the freezer.

She wondered whether she should be eating before dinner as it might ruin her appetite. Less than a second later, she concluded that she didn't really care, as she had complete faith in her ability to eat. Maybe she'll cook some Soba noodles for the two of them. Or maybe, they could go eat dinner in a restaurant so that Ryuuji would not have to stress about dish washing. He seldomly trusted other people when cleaning plates. Not even Taiga, who, apparently, hasn't mastered the _art of circular motion wiping_ yet.

Popsicle between her teeth, she went for her phone, ready to send the most inviting message for a romantic dinner in a pretty restaurant she has been dying to visit with her dear husband. At least, she was, before her phone received a call.

"Ryuuji!" She answered.

She remained still, a smile that painted her face with the elation of a child who's eating their favorite candy. When he mentioned that he felt as though the exam went well, she jumped and when he said that he wanted to eat outside, she screamed. _He can read my mind!_

"Huh? With your friends? In celebration for the end of the exam? And you want me to go as well?" She repeated. "...Minami-san's going too?"

And when his answer was positive, her world changed colors from pink to red. _Minami._

He asked whether she was fine with going; that the two of them could go to that restaurant she's been mentioning over and over. He said they could have a romantic dinner instead. She refused instantly.

"Oh, come on, we can go to that restaurant some other time!" She pushed her words between her teeth. "I like your friends, it would be a good chance for all of us to hang out again," She walked to their bedroom. "Besides, this is a celebration for your exam. So... let's celebrate."

#

The abundance of color that came from the small sign on the restaurant header was somewhat obnoxious. Red, green, blue and yellow. A miss match of lights that outlined the letters of the name of the establishment without direction, seemingly only wanting to stick out.

The building itself was common.

A dining restaurant with massive glass windows and concrete, cream colored walls. The stone path that led to the door was adored with small lights that illuminated the way, ending in an already rotting carpet. All in all, the place seemed a little rundown. Oddly enough, it was packed full of people.

Taiga briefly stared at the people sitting next to the window, noticing how they were dressed, shifting her eyes to clearly see her own reflection and how out of place she would be when entering. Nevertheless, she smiled.

The petite woman was ready to fight, no matter what she was about to face.

She wore a high-waisted, jet black skirt that was held together by a thin, onyx belt with a circular, silver buckle. In order to complete her _I-did-work-on-this,-but-not-too-much_ look, a white blouse and a high ponytail to hold her hair, that allowed her to keep that wild feel her loose locks of hair often gave her. Thigh high black tights and formal black ballerina shoes, that looked good and felt good.

Finally, her ace, Ryuuji's necklace. She made it smaller. Small enough to tightly hug her neck. Tight enough to be a choker.

She spied her reflection on the window once more. She looked great and she knew it.

Taiga entered the restaurant with daring steps, each one more confident than the last. Swiftly, she held her little purse to her side, searching for her husband and his friends. And Minami.

She began moving across the booths, looking for her blue haired idiot. And with each booth she passed by, the more people would turn to stare at her. Mostly men, unfortunately. Young and old, staff and customers, she was the center of attention. But she did not care, because in her mind, she needed the attention of only one man that could very well be sitting with another woman, right about that moment.

He wasn't. Taiga let go of some air she seemed to be holding in, breathing a sigh of relief at the sight of her sleeping dummy, who was lightly snoring in the same table his friends (and Minami) were sitting at.

She stood still for a few seconds, admiring just how dorky he looked. Then she pulled out her phone to take a picture of his dorkiness. With flash still on, Eiichi Kaito, the funny one, turned to Taiga, his eyes widening as soon as he saw her. A slight blush later, he stood up and lightly touched Ryuuji's face to wake him.

Ren Oita was next to Kaito and across them was Ryuuji with an empty space to his left; Yua Minami was to his right. Taiga did her best to not stare at her breasts.

She remained in place as her husband returned to the realm of consciousness, his gaze lost elsewhere, until he focused on her.

He almost tripped as he made his way to her, intently studying her. Undressing her with his eyes. He stopped in front of his wife, wearing an ocean blue hoodie and linen jeans. His mouth was open like a fish out of water and it was all Taiga could do not to giggle. "Say something."

"Y-you look..." He swallowed. "Amazing."

"I always do." She reached for his face, planting a warm, delicate kiss on his lips. She did not pull him all the way down, but only enough so that her mouth touched his while she stood on her toes.

As he closed his eyes, she held one eye open, observing Minami, attentive of her reaction to their kiss. She seemed indifferent. _Hmph! Play coy all you want. I'll show you what's up._

Ryuuji ended their kiss, his face a blunder of different shades of reds and pinks. Without a word, he took her hand into his, accompanying her to their seats. Minami smiled and pleasantly greeted Taiga, while Kaito mumbled something. Oita stood up and bowed, ever so politely.

Her husband sat to the left of the booth, while she sat next to Minami, who commented on how well her skirt matched her shoes. _Pfft, pleasantries won't work on me, you know?_

Proudly, she placed her hand over Ryuuji's on the table, making sure that everyone, even the people behind them, could see that he was her man. Of course, his cheeks' pigment never changed back to its original colors.

"You know, Takasu-kun, when you mentioned you had a wife, I didn't believe you. Then I saw her. Still did not believe it. And now I've seen you kiss. I have one simple question." Kaito started, flicking his almond hair to one side, taking hold of Ryuuji's free hand. "Why can't I get a girlfriend?! What's your secret?"

Oita patted his friend's shoulder with a reassuring expression and the young couple blinked in confusion, only for Taiga to follow up with a playful grin. "Yeah, Ryuuji. How did you get a wife such as me? Care to share your secrets?"

Suddenly put into the spotlight, the blue haired man mumbled a few words of advice, moving his arms (while still holding Taiga's hand, so her arm was being swung around too), about the merits of learning how to cook and to feed your future partner. Be nice and caring, helpful; but never too much as they need to figure stuff out themselves sometimes. And as he spoke, Taiga just listened to how wonderful her other half is from his own mouth.

Unfortunately, old habits die hard, thus, her focus often shifted to Minami as she meticulously examined her expressions. She was mesmerized by Ryuuji's speech. And she loathed her for it. But she calmed herself. She hasn't done anything. She hasn't said anything that might merit a reaction. She's past hitting people for the littlest of reasons. She has matured, ignoring how she behaved to Ryuuji's attempt at using a nickname for her.

As such, the conversation continued, college life and exams now being the topic at hand. Taiga recounted her struggles with learning laws by hard and Oita commented on a method for fast learning, which involved only reading the book. Apparently, he has a photographic memory. Kaito protested at the advice, Ryuuji defended Oita, Minami laughed, and Taiga enjoyed the company, although she was still wary of Minami.

Finally, time for the dreaded conversation that every student hated had arrived: comparing answers after an exam.

"I refuse!" Yelled Kaito. "I will not subject myself to this torture! I know I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed but come on! You don't have to rub it in!"

"Kaito-kun, it's just a way to understand where we could have made a mistake in our reasoning, in order to keep it in mind for next time." Oita clarified. "Easy for you to say. You probably aced the test."

Minami shrugged. "Nah, he didn't. He would have been waaaay too excited to tell us as soon as we left our classroom. If he's asking, he must have made a mistake."

"I am not ashamed to say that I might have made a few erroneous calculations. The only theoretical question I'm sure about is number three, since-" And Kaito loudly squealed in an effort to drown out the sound of the conversation. Oita raised his voice. "I REMEMBERED TAKASU-KUN'S NOTES ABOUT ALTERNATIVE CURRENT OSCILLATIONS!"

"Oh, I got that one right." Kaito said and the group laughed. As the group spoke, Taiga realized that she was unable to join in what they were talking about. But it did not bother her, since listening to their arguing about the test was entertaining. She was content. Ryuuji's fingers were intertwined with hers. He was happy and a little tired. She had almost forgotten about her one-sided quarrel with Minami. Almost.

"Honestly," Minami started. "If it wasn't for Takasu-kun's help, we would not have been able to pass this exam. I'm not even sure the cookies I baked last week were enough to thank you all for your help."

_What?_ Taiga thought. _She baked cookies for Ryuuji?!_ Minami baked cookies for the group. _How dare she?!_

And from the petite woman's perspective, everything slowed down, giving her time to think a million thoughts. _First of all, what's up with baking cookies for a married man. What's wrong with her? Secondly, I need to calm down. I need to think about this carefully. How do I approach this situation? I need to let her know that I'm onto her. But it can't be too obvious!_

_Subtly, Taiga. You need to be subtle._

Her chin lazily rested on the back of her fist as she spoke. "You baked cookies? How nice! Ryuuji did not even mention you did! They must've been very forgettable then." _NO! YOU NEEDED TO BE SUBTLE!_

Silence fell upon the table, with Minami intensely looking into Taiga's amber eyes. Worst of all, Taiga was grinning and tightening her grip on Ryuuji's hand as she stared back at the woman in front of her.

Yua Minami brushed her hair behind her ear, slightly narrowing her eyes. Nobody said a single word for what felt like an eternity.

"W-well, I think Takasu-kun didn't mention the cookies because he did not eat any! He mentioned not feeling too well that afternoon. R-right, Oita-kun?" Kaito interjected, his voice a quivering mess. Oita nodded.

Taiga took a moment to think. She remembered that day. It was a Tuesday night, where he'd come back exhausted. "I'm too nervous about this dumb test to properly eat." He had cried. Although, after a few hours of relaxing, she'd managed to convince him to eat the food she had prepared, threatening to kick his butt if he didn't.

"Oh yeah, I remember! Last week on Tuesday, right? Well, it certainly was not because he wasn't hungry, since he ate when he got home. Maybe it was the smell? He's very sensitive about it." Taiga's lips curled upwards. "But no worries, I was pretty bad at cooking and baking before. All you need is a bit of practice."

Slowly, Minami's blue eyes darkened as she puffed her chest with air. _Gimmie your best shot, blondie._

"Tai-"

"What ar-"

"How about we order something to eat!" Oita interrupted both Minami and Ryuuji before they could speak. "It's been half an hour, and nobody has asked for our order. Guess we were too entertained talking to each other to even notice." He suggested and laughed a little too loudly to feel genuine.

Both Minami and Ryuuji closed their mouth, opting to avoid any conflict.

The smaller girl of the group turned to her husband, who was still holding her hand. She was trying to understand how he felt about the entire conversation, that honestly, she was starting to regret. His expression was neutral, and if he felt annoyance, he did not let it show.

Of course, awkward small talk was the only type of noise that filled their quiet. They even started talking about the weather.

Ryuuji placed his menu over Taiga's, suggesting a fried fish dish, with a side of boiled vegetables. She refused, wanting to eat something more substantial. (She wanted to avoid vegetables.) The group decided to take up the promotion for fried rice with shrimp, along with some crafted beers that rounded up to a very good price.

Minami made a _mmmh-_ ing sound. "I don't know. Taiga-san might be too small for beer. Something healthier might be a better choice."

The boys said nothing, but their horrified expression spoke a thousand words.

_And here I was feeling bad for what I said. You've learned your lesson, Taiga. Never back down._ She would not let this slide.

"I have the same opinion about the food. Some of us might be eating a little too much and might gain some weight. And as you just said, Minami-san. It's not healthy."

Kaito closed his menu. "G-girls, maybe we could get som-"

"Eating a wide variety of food is pretty important when growing up. It helps to develop one's body. And I'm not only talking about height." Minami smirked.

Oita raised his hand, calling for the waiter, hoping that his presence might induce them to stop.

It did not.

"Pfft, being tall is highly overrated. Sometimes people need to work on their personalities, not their bodies. Working on their fashion sense wouldn't hurt, too." _I know what that stupid stare you gave Ryuuji means. You better back off._

The blond woman gritted her teeth. "Whatever! You b-"

"Enough!" Ryuuji stood up, letting go of his wife's hand. "The both of you! This is supposed to be a celebration!" He noticed the waiter, who was furiously blinking, avoiding everyone's eyes.

"But your wif-"

"Minami-san, please! Just stop." Ryuuji said and sat down, quickly referring their order to the waiter so he could leave.

Taiga feared reaching for Ryuuji's hand. She was frustrated. Through the night she felt as though she had to be defensive, fearing of losing her husband to another woman or something along those lines.

Honestly, what surprised her the most was Ryuuji's reaction. He's almost always calm, only raising his voice when necessary. She must admit that she sorts of enjoyed that he yelled at Minami, reasoning that he sided with her.

Kaito continued speaking, pulling a few laughs out of Ryuuji and Oita, as Minami just stared at them. Taiga felt very small at that moment.

She has always been the kind of person to be a little overbearing with the people she cares about. Be it Minori; Kitamura, when she had a crush on him; and let's not even mention Ryuuji, as sudden flashes of her announcing that Ryuuji was hers in the pool still haunted her to this day. (Not that her feelings were not genuine, but it had been very embarrassing.)

She managed to sneak a few words in, with some success, with her husband's lips morphing into a gentle smile. Even Minami started speaking after some time.

In the few intervals of silence, she thought of all her romantic relationships and how they have affected her to the point of acting like she did. Well, Kitamura and she were never a couple, although, she regretfully remembers how entitled she felt of his attention and care. She would burst in jealousy filled rants that she forced Ryuuji to sit through and often threatened any girl that came close to him with promises of violence. _But I've grown out of that._

The waiter asked to make some space on the table for the fried rice. She sipped on her drink and glanced at her husband's hands. _Maybe I felt as though I had changed because I no longer cared whether Kitamura spoke with other girls or not?_ Surely that was not it. She could admit that she did not like him anymore at the time, but that could not be the only reason.

A huge, round tray with 5 portions of rice filled to the brim was placed on the center of the table. Ryuuji smiled as he handed her portion. He even left a little kiss on her temple.

_Maybe I act like this because of Ryuuji?_ She's never had a relationship before. She does not have any frame of reference to understand why she was being so aggressive. She's supposed to be calmer after so much time has passed.

Her brain knew that all she was saying was true, but the idea of any other woman being treated by Ryuuji the same way he treats her destroys her heart. But she was past being possessive! She would no longer be coming to conclusion without thinking! She had grown!

And Minami just touched her husband's hand.

He gave her portion, his hands underneath the bowl. And she reached from the bottom, touching his hand. _She did it on purpose. Right in front of me._ Taiga followed the bowl with her eyes as she placed it in front of her. _Wait. Be rational. She did not grab his hand. Her fingers lightly touched his._ She grabbed her chopsticks. _Calm down._ Her chest inflated with air. _You need to-_

Taiga's chopsticks were deep inside Minami's bowl preventing her from eating. Any noise that came from the rest of the group was instantly silenced. "I want this bowl." _What am I even doing?_

"Why?" Minami asked.

Taiga pulled the bowl towards her with the chopsticks, while Minami kept it in place. "It has bigger shrimps. I like those."

"Taiga, wh-"

"I like shrimps too. Besides, Takasu-kun already gave you your portion." Minami interrupted Ryuuji. She pulled the bowl. Oita gulped and Kaito pretended not to see.

"I just want this bowl. Give-It-To-Me." Their struggle increased, as the two increasingly applied more force. Ryuuji tried to diffuse the situation but was unceremoniously ignored. They did not talk at all, their fury filled eyes voicing whatever they wanted to say.

_Just what the hell am I doing?_

"Fine, you want it so badly, then take it!" Minami declared, letting go of her rice and settling on her chair as its contents emptied all over the smaller girl.

Taiga's eyes widened and she stood up. "You did this on pur-"

"Taiga!" Ryuuji yelled, with the entirety of the restaurant turning to their table as the noise they were making was too loud to ignore.

And between all the noise, Taiga heard nothing, except for her own name from Ryuuji's mouth. She looked around and she found a room full of strangers staring at her, as oil dripped from her hair and clothes. Oita looked down, Kaito elsewhere and Minami gazed at her. But what hurt more than anything were Ryuuji's eyes.

"Are you hur-" Her husband reached for her arm, but she was gone before he even had the chance to catch her, running for the bathroom.

Then it was only her and her reflection. Her and her twisting face that fought tears from coming out. Her and her stupidity. Her and her impulsiveness.

Slowly, she removed any grain of rice that was on her and lightly tapped her dress with water on a paper towel. Her phone was vibrating.

She then washed her arms and face, trying to remove the oil from the food. She needed a bath to properly remove all the grease. Residue of the paper towel was all over her skirt. She did not cry. And her phone kept vibrating.

_Ryuuji loves this skirt._ She wondered why she didn't run for her car. She was stuck in the bathroom now. _I ruined it._ She undid her ponytail, noticing how much rice and shrimp was tangled in it. She thought it looked hilarious. _I ruined the night._

And why did she ruin the night?

She knew that those cookies Minami made were for the group. She knew that the best way to hold that bowl was from the bottom. Was she really so insecure? Was the woman in the mirror so afraid of not being good?

Her phone vibrated again.

She looked at her body and then thought of Mimani's. She touched her chest and felt worse. She searched her surroundings and noticed just how tall everything is. She covered her face, and everything was dark. And she felt so small. And she was alone, in this bathroom, with her insecurities. Alone like she was for so many years.

She remembered the pool and what Ryuuji did for her and her insecurities. Her phone vibrated a few more times and the bathroom were silent again. She finally decided to look at it.

She could not help but smile. It was a barrage of messages from her husband. An endless line up of _How are you_ -s and _Are you alright_ -s, with the last message from a minute ago explaining how he would sit on the floor of the main hall of the restaurant, waiting for her and that no matter what, he'll be there.

It has been 10 minutes and she figured it was time to leave. She armored herself with all the courage she could muster and stepped outside.

Ryuuji was there for her. Like always. He seemed particularly tall at that moment.

"Taiga!" He shot up from the floor, trying to peek at her face as she was looking at her feet. "Are you hurt? Was the rice hot?" He held her shoulders. "I don't see any redden spots. You left in a hurry." He brought her close, placing his arms around her. She protested, mumbling something along the lines of you'll get dirty if you hug me. He shook his head. "I don't care. I was worried sick. Please don't do that again."

"I'm sorry." Taiga spoke with a small voice. "I embarrassed you and myself. I-I'm s-sorry." She cried, finally letting the tears she's been holding flow onto Ryuuji's hoodie. She wrapped her arms around him, clinging to his back, almost afraid that he would disappear at any moment. He hugged her tighter and didn't disappear. "It's alright. You don't have to worry about anything."

She moved her head from right to left. "No, it wasn't right. I'm older now! I should not behave like this. You're my husband, not my high school boyfriend. I've spent the night telling myself the lie about having grown out of my immaturity, when only seeing what happened this morning was evidence enough that I haven't." She sniffed, failing to contain her tears. "It's so hard. I fear..." She stopped herself from speaking.

Ryuuji reached for her cheek down to her chin, pulling her face out of his hoodie. His dark pools have an uncanny warmth to them. "Tell me. Whatever it is. No matter how scary, I'm here to chase away those fears."

She did not dare look away from his eyes. "I fear..." She paused, building up strength to speak. "That you might like girls with bigger breasts."

Ryuuji seemed confused. "I also fear that you'd prefer taller girls. Curvier girls. Girls with blue eyes. I fear someone is going to take you away from me!"

"I fear how great you are. I fear that someday some other girl will notice just how good and handsome you are. I fear that you'll get tired of my personality. I fear that I might be too possessive..." She did not want to start crying again. She thought of all those moments in high school where she'd chase away everyone that threatened her time with Kitamura. She remembered how it stung to listen to the Dumb Chihuahua on how she would steal Ryuuji away. And they weren't even close to starting dating at the time. She thought of how much she fought to prevent him from going to the beach house with her all alone, since he was _her_ dog, and nobody else's. _What a dumb excuse that was._ _I've always been like this, have I not? I haven't changed at all._

"You know, I sometimes have similar fears." Ryuuji said and now it was Taiga's turn to feel confused. "Taiga, you're beautiful." His palm on her cheek gave her the calm she desperately needed. "You are strong, smart, funny, driven, decisive," His words were melting into her ears. "You fit so well between my arms, it's incredible! You love so hard you are ready to fight to the death for those people, so incredibly loyal and damnit, I can't help but go crazy at the thought of some other idiot sweeping you from under your feet and taking you away."

"I might be a little selfish, but I also want you all for me! I always want to be that idiot! Because no matter what other woman I could ever meet, the only type of woman I want," She was about to cry again. "No, that I need, it's you, Taiga Takasu. And I did." He reached for her left hand, making sure she could see both her ring and his.

She opened her mouth and closed it almost immediately, opting to keep him as close as possible with her arms around his back. "I love you, Ryuuji."

"I love you, my little tiger."

They remained as they were for a few minutes, until a waiter told them that they couldn't stay there forever. He handed her his hoodie, which was comically big for her, although Ryuuji thought it looked adorable. He said he's already paid for their food and that they could go home, but she went to the table and bowed for both Oita and Kaito, asking for their forgiveness.

They seemed to accept it fairly quickly and when she asked where Minami was, they mentioned she left a few minutes after her husband went looking for her.

Taiga insisted on eating their dinner with Ryuuji's friends and although it was pretty awkward, the night went on without any more trouble. By the end of the night, she had promised herself she would apologize to Yua Minami no matter what.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To me, this was the logical evolution of Taiga's possessive and jealous attitude that she's shown on the Anime and LN. Seeing how she was with Ryuuji before they were even a thing, I can't imagine (well, I guess I did) how she would be once they get married.
> 
> By the way, I sketched a small drawing on how I imagined Taiga and Ryuuji's outfit for the chapter. Here's the url if you're interested: https://imgur.com/a/N2MUoxO


	6. Softball Life

The day was truly beautiful. It was one of those rare autumn mornings that were carried by a light breeze of whatever warmth remained from the summer.

The sun was high and unclouded, a single dot in a blue sheet of apparent infinity. Oh, how poetic. And convenient. The intense rays were the perfect excuse to wear a bowknot straw hat, that not only looked divine with a white, single piece dress, but also easily concealed her identity.

"Yes, of course. I'll find you the perfect model." Ami Kawashima replied with her newly upgraded phone glued to her face. "Yeah, she's a friend of mine."

She fixed her glasses, doing her darndest to avoid any looks as she entered the University's campus. "Well, yeah... She can be a little difficult to work with," She stopped in front of a map.

The 'Baseball Stadium' was on the top left of the campus, farthest from the entrance.

"I'll bring her husband along. If there's a person that can control that woman, it's him" She laughed, although the person from the other line stayed quiet. She gulped. "Listen. It'll be fine. When have I ever brought you the wrong person for a photoshoot? Remember Amber Lumier?"

Amber Lumier was a waitress that Ami met in Paris half a year before at a local coffee shop next to her apartment. When her latte finally arrived, she couldn't help but notice how her skin was of the purest of colors. Clear, clean and ebony. After some talking, she convinced her to try one of her dresses and took several pictures of the young woman. Her manager was instantly enamored with the girl and arranged a photoshoot for Vogue Paris (French Edition), skipping the whole selection process. Months later, Amber was already walking down Milan runways.

So yeah, Ami was pretty confident in her ability to find talent and potential models.

"You need a petite model," She was in front of the entrance of the Baseball Stadium's stands. "I already know who's the best choice." She hung up and freed her hair, with sky blue splendor glowing from them. She was worried. _That is, if she agrees to it..._

The smell of dirt, junk food and sweat surrounded her, invading her nose; the screams and cheers invaded her ears. The game was about to start.

The speakers of the stadium all blared as one, a single voice more powerful than the rest. *Good morning folks! It's a beautiful day for a game of Softball here in the Meiji University Stadium! *

The crowd cheered.

*Today is a special day, as the end of the season approaches! Many teams have fought valiantly, but only a handful have managed to stay! With resilience! Teamwork! And passion! *

The teams were making their way for their individual sides of the field. _Meiji University team... I wonder if I could see her from here._ But before she tried to spot Minori Kushieda in the field, she'd need to find her friends. Although, it was not that difficult of a task to accomplish.

"MINORIN!" Taiga Takasu screamed as she waved a flag 3 times her size with Minori's face back and forward. "You can do it, Minorin!" The petite woman repeated.

A taller man, Ryuuji Takasu, stood behind her, with his hands firmly holding her shoulders. He was raising his voice as well. "Stop waving that flag! I can barely see anything!"

"Then stop standing behind me!"

"If I do, you'll fall. This thing is too heavy for you!"

Hisamitsu Noto was with them, talking with someone she could not see or hear. Ami adjusted her glasses, making sure that the pair did not notice her presence while she approached the group. She fixed the snowy waves of her dress that arose as the wind picked up and hid behind one of the benches. Taiga was performing her typical _oryyyyyaaaaa_ screams.

_How can a girl so small have such powerful lungs?_

She allowed a few people to pass by her. Two of them were Koji Haruta and Nanako Kashi. _Oh my, the gangs all here._ She snuck around a few seats, climbing up and down, spying whether anyone from the group was turning to her direction. Noto was sitting down with the person's head on his shoulder and Haruta was complaining about something with Takasu while he held Taiga still.

She felt like a spy. _This is fun._

*And now, without further ado, the game of the season is about to start! * The crowd exploded. Hundreds of voices unified as one calling for the same name, all of them prideful of the university's title in the sport's history. *Meiji! Meiji! Meiji! *

The teams bowed for the people on the benches, hands to their sides and uniforms of spotless black and white. A single redheaded girl stood out in Ami's eyes. _Mi-_

"MINORIN!" The small woman a few rows ahead let out. She expected her husband to shut her down, but to Ami's surprise he actually joined her chant. "KUSHIEDA!"

As did Haruta and Nanako. "KUSHIEDA-CHAN!"

Maybe it was an impulse; maybe it was irrational thought, but the next thing that Ami found herself doing was calling for her friend as well. "MINORI-CHAN!"

She climbed down, focusing on the face of the redhead, that had become an amalgamation of reds and pinks. She looked great.

Her smile was clear as day and Ami was pretty sure it was because of their chants. And then she was next to Taiga and Takasu.

_Oh, crap. My plan!_ She got caught in all the commotion and excitement. To hide, she tried to see what the pair was doing from the corner of her eye. Taiga had stopped waving the flag since her husband held it in his hand. She fixed her cream-colored dress, adjusting the pink bow in front and resting her weight on Takasu. She really did seem like a human sized doll.

Takasu was dressed as plainly as possible. As he would often do. Shirt and t-shirt over it. Blue and green. _Taiga should really help him out with that._

The smaller girl turned her way and she looked away. _Why'd you have to look this way?!_ Ami's plan was to surprise them all from behind, in an elevated seat that would let her look down on her friends with the wind carrying her silky hair with it. Light shining from above, it would have been as if a goddess had come down to greet them, with her beauty and splendor in full display.

"Your goddess, Ami Kawashima, has arrived." She would have said, and everyone would clap.

But now that plan was ruined, and she had to think fast to come up with a new one.

"Hey, do I know you?" asked Taiga, who was slowly slipping from her husband's grip. Ami shook her head, using her obnoxiously big hat to try and cover her face. _You noisy little..._

"Taiga don't be rude! And stop bothering people!" said Takasu.

_Yes! Listen to him!_ The young model had thought, studying the expressions of the approaching pair. They were both wearing their wedding ring, an odd detail that filled her with slight excitement. Ever since they decided to get married, she's always supported them, although she would be lying if she did not think that their relationship was... particular, to say the least. Taiga's mother had been one of the voices that pleaded with them not to get married too early, and deep down, Ami kind of thought the same. Despite all those doubts, after two years, they had proven her and Taiga's mom wrong, and she couldn't have been prouder. She sincerely hopes they will keep proving her wrong.

"Ryuuji, she screamed Minorin's name as well."

"So? She's pretty popular here." Takasu rebutted, while the suspecting midget approached her.

Slowly, she widened the distance between her and the two as they argued with one another. Unfortunately, there were a bunch of people blocking her way. "Hey! I'm talking to you!" Taiga called. "You remind me of someone!"

"Oh, for the love of- Miss, please forgive my wife, she and manners have never been the best of friends."

His wife seemed to ignore that as she continued her investigation. "Tall, blue hair, gets on my nerves with presence alone..."

Ami let out a _pffft_ sounding noise as she tried to contain her laughter. She missed her. And she was getting very close to her. And the rest of the group had taken notice. Takasu tried to pull her back, but before he could, Taiga, with a finger under her chin, finally understood who she was.

"DUMB CHIHUAHUA?!"

_Ah, there it is. My favorite nickname._

Welp, her plan had failed. The only thing left for her to do was reveal her identity as gracefully as she could. With a single movement she removed her hat and glasses, revealing her sapphire eyes and hair, which danced along the waves of the air around her. She winked.

"Rejoice, your goddess, Ami Ka-" Ami tried to say before having the wind knocked out of her lungs by the crushing hug of the petite woman that discovered who she was.

"Kawashima?!" Takasu exclaimed and the rest of the group stood up as soon as she did. Turns out, the woman with whom Noto had been sitting was none other than Maya Kihara. _Are they dating?!_

Both Nanako and Maya exploded into a race to reach her, announcing her name with an enlivened disposition. She did her best not to fall and wondered, since Maya was going out with Noto (which was predictable), is Haruta going out with Nanako?

Haruta launched himself. "Ami-chaaaan!"

_Mmmh, guess he's not._ Of course, a foot to the face, either from Taiga or Nanako herself, prevented him from joining in their 'girlfriend' hug.

Maya separated her face from her neck. "WHEN?!"

"And why didn't you tell us, you dumb chihuahua?!" Taiga was almost tearing up.

Ami looked away and tried to contain her excitement. She wanted to keep her cool, at least for a little bit. "T-this morning. From France."

Takasu rubbed the back of his neck, as Haruta stood up and Noto came closer. "Then you must be pretty tired... Why are you here?"

The smile she kept suddenly felt a little harder to maintain as her left eye twitched. _Always the sweetest of boys, aren't you, Takasu-kun?_

"Ok, first of all, rude." The group, except for Taiga, turned to her Takasu's direction with slight annoyance. "Secondly, because of her."

*Alright folks, the game has started! Let's give our warmest welcome to the first hitter of the day! * Cheers arouse from all directions. *The red salamander! The crimson devil! The red pepper! The one and only, * The announcer inhaled and anticipation skyrocketed. *MINORI KUSHIEDA! *

The redhead entered the field, determination exuding from her every movement. She set her cap, preparing for the ball to arrive. She looked around, seemingly searching for something.

"MINORIN!" Ami heard Taiga scream; her waist still trapped between her tiny arms. "KUSHIEDA!" Takasu followed. The rest of their group roared her name.

Ami's eyes met crimson red, blossoming a smile on her lips. "MINORI-CHAN!"

And the ball flew outside of the field.

#

"France was fun; Germany was amazing!" Ami exclaimed, puffing her chest with the confidence of a peacock. Both Nanako and Maya squealed, their friend's life only a dream they could aspire to.

The game had ended, Meiji won by the skin of their teeth. It was an intense battle of wills, with star player from the Meiji University team, Makoto Ijori, demonstrating impressive adaptability skills. It lasted for roughly one hour and a half, having had many twists and turns that the young model did not really expect to find all that interesting. Obviously, she knew the rules of the game, but she never cared much for it. Having come specifically for her friend Minori, she had resigned herself to an hour or so of boredom, passively checking her phone every two or three minutes. To her own surprise, she was quite enthralled by the event; she even found herself shouting one or two times.

It was a rough game for Minori. She played extremely well, but a single great player can't really do much against great team synergy. Balls she had launched to the stratosphere were constantly being caught and sent back; she was tapped out more than once. Nevertheless, every time she entered the field the crowd cheered.

The red head's face was a sight to behold when victory finally came. Taiga almost lost her voice with how much she had screamed.

And now, they were waiting for her. "I'll meet you all on the south exit of the stadium. From there we'll have our fabulous picnic" She had said when Nanako had called.

Taiga tapped her foot. "So, did you manage to be less annoying in France too?"

"Nope, I had hope that you could teach me. You know, because of that great personality of yours." Ami hit back.

A moment of silence later and both were laughing. "I missed your abrasiveness. Talking to you feels like eating glass." She bumped her arm with her elbow.

"I thought that you two had grown out of talking to each other like that." Maya commented, slightly shaking her head.

Takasu sighed. "You should hear the voice messages they send each other." Taiga made a _mmmh_ sound and pulled Takasu closer to the three girls. "That's because we're not sissies like you and those other two," She pointed at Haruta and Noto. "We can take a punch."

"I'm pretty sure Takasu-kun is pretty good at taking punches himself." Nanako butt in, and the group turned to Taiga, who grunted in disagreement.

Takasu seemed to get closer to his wife, resting his hand on her head. "I'll have you know she doesn't punch me as often as she used to. She's matured." And the tiny woman looked as proud as if she had won some kind of race only she was participating in.

"Has she, now? Is that true, Maya-chan? How does she behave in college?" Ami asked, half teasingly, half genuinely curious.

Noto smiled. "With what Maya has told me, she behaves pretty much the same as in high school."

_Oh my, speaking of Noto._ She did not want to let this chance slide. "Since you seem to know Maya-chan so much, to the point of answering questions for her, care to explain how did you two ended up together?" The boy held his bag tight, searching the answer in Maya's shoes, apparently.

"I'll tell you!" Haruta exclaimed.

"No! If there's anyone I don't want telling our story, it's you Haruta-kun!" Maya declared with slight indignation and embarrassment.

"I'll be extra careful with what I say! I promise!"

"Hisamitsu-kun, tell him no!"

"So, in a bath behind th-" Noto placed his hands over Haruta's mouth, almost pinning him to the ground as the group exploded in casual laughter. Ami adored this. She missed this. She missed them all so much. _If only Kitamura was here too..._

"AMI-CHAAAN!"

That was the last thing Ami heard before being forced to the ground by one of the most violent hugs she's ever received. "Minori-chan! That hurt a lot!"

For the love of everything that is in the world, she missed Minori, but she does not care for hugs full of dirt and sand. She suspects she fell on her arm, hitting the ground hard enough to probably leave a bruise. Her body was essential for her work! She cannot have bruises!

"Don't I get a hug?" Taiga whimpered.

_Of course, you'd ask to join in. Well, she's all yours._ Minori did not let her go, instead she pulled the little woman down, pressing their collective cheeks together. "I missed you so much! When was the last time we had a three-way hug?!"

Haruta chuckled, prompting Maya, Takasu and Noto to slap in on the head.

Ami wanted out. Sort of. She liked having her friends around her but painting her beautiful white dress brown was... Worth it. Minori and Taiga's smiles were worth it. Everyone else's laughter was worth it. She-

_Uh?_

Minori seemed to make an effort to keep her lips upwards. The professional model was a professional for a reason, as her abilities to pinpoint fake _anything_ was a requirement to be part of such an industry.

Her lips were barely trembling, with a small tug from her face muscles here and there, making the illusion of genuine happiness. _I'll have to look into this._

Nanako interrupted the moment, suggesting to head to the picnic area, a somewhat semi-furnished park that was part of the university's campus. Takasu called for Taiga, who sprinted as soon as he mentioned her name, intertwining her fingers with his, placing her left arm over his. They walked extremely uncomfortable for a dozen of minutes. They also did not seem to care.

Ami started an unfortunate conversation with Haruta and Minori, while Maya and Noto discussed which tree was more ideal for their lunch. Minori kept her unrealistically optimistic smile as they did.

"I had to bring my own food?" Ami asked, shooting daggers with her eyes at the person who invited her to the outing, but neglected to mention such a detail. Minori looked away. "I-I thought there was going to be a ramen stand around here."

"So, while you all ate homemade food, I'd eat ramen. Was that your plan?"

The red head lifted her shoulders and rubbed the back of her head.

Takasu placed his bag down, making sure the shade of the chosen tree (which Maya and Noto were still fighting about) covered most of their belongings. "Don't worry, Tata and I have more than enough food for you. We cooked a literal storm last night."

_Tata?_

"Yeah, Dumb Chihuahua. You'll have the honor of tasting my great cooking," She turned to her husband. "I hate it. Try again."

He furrowed his eyebrow in frustration and pulled out a small notebook from his back pocket. He scratched something out with a pencil. Everyone was confused, to the point that Noto and Maya stopped bickering.

"What just happened?"

Taiga dragged a hand on her hip. "Does it surprise you so much that I learned how to cook, you idiots?"

"And you all say I'm the rude one." Takasu mused, pulling beer, juice, water, and a myriad of different drinks from his bag.

Minori shook her head. "No, Takasu-kun... Who's Tata?"

"Tata's Taiga," They were dumbfounded. "Like, a nickname for Taiga." And a choir of _ooooo_ 's took hold of the group. "A nickname that's horrible, mind you. If he wants to give me a nickname, he'll have to do better than that."

Ami sat down where shade could shield her from the sun, finally releasing her hair from the prison that is her hat. Nanako threw her a drink and ignored Haruta's advances. For a few seconds she just admired the sight of the park and her friends. Minori looked good in her refreshed, sporty outfit, as did Noto and Maya with his casual shirt and pants. She studied the red head's face, noticing every fiber of her body fighting that idiot grin she was displaying.

She looked away and called Taiga over, having remembered the call she had that same morning.

"Listen, I have a gift for you." The petite woman nodded, anticipation building.

"I have 10 liters ready. It was so damn difficult since they are usually not allowed in Japan. You owe me big time." She saw her friend swallow. "D-did you bring the new grape flavor I asked you about?" Ami grinned. Takasu called for his wife. "Yes...and I tasted it."

"H-how was it?" She whispered and her husband raised his voice again.

"Delicious," She's never seen her so happy when talking about a beverage. "Of course, you'll do a favor for me, right?"

"Taiga!" The blue haired man repeated.

"Yes, coming!" She crouched in front of Ami. "Y-yes, I will. Remember to bring the Mountain Dew on Monday afternoon at-"

"Taiga!"

_Oh, she's pissed._ Taiga stomped her way towards Takasu, her look of fiery rage like none other. "You have been awfully clingy with me today! I wonder why?" She burned a hole on his forehead with a stare; he was indifferent. "Could it be that you like me? I'll have you know, I'm a married woman." She showed her husband her wedding ring.

Takasu stood still for a few seconds, trying his darndest to keep a straight face. He could not. His laughter, as contagious as it was, spread through the group, finally reaching his wife. "Yes, I like you a lot. Now, come help me choose what food we're gonna give to Kawashima." Taiga planted a quick kiss on his cheek and kneeled with him over his bag. Haruta lamented their flirting, asking the skies why he is still single.

And through all this joy, she found Minori speaking with Nanako with the biggest lie plastered all over her face. What was the lie? Her stupid smile.

#

The reason why Minori Kushieda took so long to get to her friends was because her team was collectively getting yelled at by their coach. Unsurprisingly, the entire discussion was about a lack of coordination and conviction in their playing style. The over-reliance of key players during long periods of time had eroded their ability to adapt when the opposing team finally decided to change their gaming pace.

Minori was considered one of the aces of the team, although her inability to properly match the speed and agility of players like Makoto Ijori left a bad taste in the team's captain and coach. And while the former was instrumental for their victory, her shortcomings were apparent enough to warrant a humiliating callout in front of her teammates.

Obviously, she was not the only one that was verbally pummeled, as players like her friend Ryota Kai had missed a few shots more than a few times, costing several bases during the game. In the end, whatever morale they had gained by winning was quickly dissipated by the unending mouthing of a failed softball professional that yearns to create the perfect player to prove to herself that their career was not a total waste of time.

_Big, wide and bright, Minori. Big and bright._ She had forced herself to smile, practicing in front of a mirror like an actor in front of a camera. _Maybe I should have been an actress._

Right after she'd exited the dressing room, a call from her father had pleasantly surprised her. He had wanted to know how the game went, and she answered sincerely, owning up to her misgivings and failures as several times she did not manage to live up to expectations. Logically, as any parent would, he had reassured her that trying and failing is normal, as making sure that you give it your best is always the way to measure someone's worth.

She had hated that response. She wanted him to be mad. She'd wanted him to be mad so badly, so that maybe he could reassure her that her feelings were not unfounded. _Big and bright._

She had pushed herself to ask about her younger brother.

He was working, and her heart sank below ground, reaching the core of the Earth and burning up into a fiery mess. _What am I doing?_

He had taken yet another job. Another job to pick up her slack. To help his big sister's dreams of grandeur.

Lovingly, his father recounted the many times he and she had spent time in their family restaurant and how much her younger sibling has become like her. _Please stop._ He'd said how proud he was of her. _Stop._ He'd said that he believed in her.

She had hung up.

Minori Kushieda ran to the bathroom and breathed a few gulps of air, desperately grasping to any sort of relief from the overwhelming anxiety of expectations and pride in oneself.

"Why are you so sad?" She asked her reflection. "You have no reason to be sad."

She had wiped her tears and headed towards the place where she was supposed to meet her friends. She saw Ami and her emotions were genuine, although they were short lived. She had talked with Taiga, laughed with Takasu, smiled with Hatori and Maya.

But everything felt so hard so suddenly. _Big and bright._

"Excuse me guys, it's been a veeeery hot day for me," She laughed. "You know, with playing a game under the sun and such." She grabbed her food from Takasu's hand and backed up. "I'll sit under the tree while you get everything ready, okay?"

The group nodded and Taiga gave her a quick hug before returning to her husband to finish setting up their picnic environment.

She could not help but notice how happy Noto and Maya looked. How carefree Haruta and Nanako always were. How cheerful and goofy Takasu and Taiga seemed. She missed them all so much.

_So why?! Why are you being so difficult?! Why are you so sa-_

"Hey hotshot, mind if I sit with you?" Ami Kawashima sat before an answer was given. That robbed a smile from her lips. Minori nodded and shimmied out of the way to make more space.

Ami stayed silent.

The red head knew something was awry if her friend was quiet. Ami always had something to say. It's like, a part of her character, or something. She thought of how to begin a conversation, whilst her stare was fixed in the group in front of her. Maybe they could talk about the game? Maybe about her modeling gigs?

In the end, it didn't matter, as Ami spoke with an unnerving seriousness, she hadn't heard for over a year.

"You know, I'm not good with beating around the bush. So, I'll ask you right away. Do you still have feelings for Takasu-kun?"

_Oh, so that was why she sat beside me._ Minori Kushieda turned her head, her eyes full of the purest colors of red and honesty. She produced a single word without an ounce of hesitation.

"No."

Apparently, Ami was not expecting that. She seemed taken aback, confused, and unsure of how to express what she felt. Finally, she talked with her usual wit. "Wow. This is the first time since we met in this park that you've spoken with honesty."

Minori shrugged. "It's been two years. People change and grow. Crushes come and go. Besides," She shifted her gaze towards her married friends' direction, who were in the middle of one of their usual fights. "They're perfect for each other."

She really meant what she said. Her feelings for Takasu had completely disappeared, although she had to admit that the process was more gradual than instantaneous.

She once asked Taiga how she got over Kitamura. She had answered that after the incident with the president, she realized that her feelings for him had mellowed out. Mind you, it wasn't because she found out he liked someone else, it's just that her thoughts started to wonder less and less towards Kitamura. Right about that time, she had also noticed how much she thought of Takasu. And the rest was history.

Minori figured something similar had happened to her. As months went by, her interactions with Takasu felt less awkward on her side (he always seemed fine talking to her), her mind thinking of him with less intensity and more mundanity. As a friend. And after roughly six months from the beginning of their third year of high school, on a lunch break afternoon, as he handed homemade cookies he had made with Taiga, their hands touched, and she felt nothing. No butterflies; no blushes; no knot stuck in the throat. Just the hand of a friend. At the time, she had brightly smiled at him, but actually, she was smiling at herself.

So, after two years, seeing two of her best friends together, blissfully eating under the autumn sky, brought her an immense joy that she could not begin to comprehend.

Ami smiled. "They really are...Then," Her hair floated about her, prompting her to move a few strands behind her ear. "Why are you so sad?"

_I_... Minori was not sure. She just felt hate for herself. Repulsion and anguish. She felt as though she didn't deserve what she had. She owed so much of what she is to other people, how could she even begin to repay them back?

A myriad of thoughts clouded her mind, leaving access to a single memory. One from two years before. One she had with her dearest of friends.

"Because I failed. I couldn't keep my promise." She muttered, her face breaking apart.

Ami closed their distance. "Your promise?"

"I failed Taiga, Takasu-kun, Kitamura-kun," Pools of red met blue when she turned to face the young model. "And I failed you." She breathed in, doing her best not to cry.

"I couldn't find my own happiness."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do wonder whether or not I shot myself in the foot by making it clear from the get-go that Minori does not harbor romantic feelings for Ryuuji, because, you know, the ambiguity would have been perfect for some cheap, but enticing drama.
> 
> Honestly, I just felt that too many fanfics have gone down this route, going against the message that the conversation between Minori and Ami had, right after Ryuuji and Taiga had run from home. She wanted to find her own happiness, without relying on a specific person in order to have it. Of course, life gets in the way and it's not that simple. I want to explore this facet of her struggles, that go beyond the relationship she has with our two main characters (although, of course they will still be part of her story)


End file.
